Softball Recap: Golden Valley Cougars vs. Merced Bears
Golden Valley was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They fell just short of the Merced Bears by a score of 4-3. Golden Valley was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Merced apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in March.
Bree Barner spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 15 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 15 consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Golden Valley saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gabriella Cienfuegos, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double.
Even though they lost, Golden Valley didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 15 strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Merced only tossed eight.
On Merced's side, they also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Annalise Ramirez gave up only one earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Madison Cabral was excellent, going 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Golden Valley's loss dropped their record down to 9-12. As for Merced, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 10-10-1 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Golden Valley will take on El Capitan at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. El Capitan is coming into the contest with five straight defeats on the road, meaning Golden Valley will have to defend against a team hungry for a win. As for Merced, they will be playing at home against Atwater at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
