New Plymouth is 2-8 against Melba since March of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Pilgrims will look to defend their home field against the Mustangs at 5:30 p.m. New Plymouth is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.8 runs per game this season.
New Plymouth took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They never let Vision get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory. The Pilgrims haven't had any issues with Vision recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Marcus Garcia and Blayk Cockerum were a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Garcia pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Cockerum tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Garcia has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive appearances. At bat, Garcia got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Cockerum scored a run while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. That's the most RBI Garcia has posted since back in March.
Cooper Shaw
| 04/14/25 vs Vision | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs McCall-Donnelly | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Vision | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Payette | 2 |
| 03/21/25 @ Weiser | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
In other batting news, Cooper Shaw was a standout: he scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. New Plymouth is 5-1 when Shaw posts two or more runs, but 4-6 otherwise. Payton Zigga was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
New Plymouth always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Vision only posted an OBP of .222.
Meanwhile, Melba was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They came up short against Nampa Christian, falling 8-0.
Melba saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Colter Bodily, who went 1-for-3 with one double. Mike Lester also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
New Plymouth's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-7. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.3 runs over those games. As for Melba, their loss dropped their record down to 7-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. New Plymouth has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Melba struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
New Plymouth might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Melba in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Will the Pilgrims have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
