Softball Game Preview: Ponderosa Bruins vs. Merced Bears

The Ponderosa Bruins will face off against the Merced Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Ponderosa comes in on ten and Merced on six.

Ponderosa is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Antelope with a sharp 20-8 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bruins, who have now won 11 games by six runs or more so far this season.

Kate McCartney

Home Runs (Career)

05/14/25 vs Antelope	3
05/08/25 vs Whitney	1
04/30/25 @ Inderkum	1
04/23/25 vs Rio Americano	1
04/08/25 vs Inderkum	1

The team relied heavily on Kate McCartney, who fired off three home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-3. Those three home runs gave her a new career-high. Bella Adams was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs.

Meanwhile, Merced beat Patterson 5-1 on Wednesday.

Annalise Ramirez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Maisen Priddell was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Lillian Gallegos, who went 3-for-4 with two runs.

Merced's win was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 24-4-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Ponderosa, their win bumped their record up to 15-8.