Caliche is 2-8 against Merino since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Buffaloes will venture away from home to take on the Rams at 1:00 p.m. Caliche will be strutting in after a victory while Merino will be coming in after a loss.
While Caliche's win against Prairie wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Buffaloes narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Mustangs 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Buffaloes have posted since April 17, 2024.
Zander Yost
| 03/27/25 vs Holyoke | 4 |
| 04/17/25 vs Prairie | 3 |
| 04/14/25 @ Peetz | 3 |
| 04/07/25 @ Briggsdale | 3 |
| 04/05/25 vs Wiley | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
Zander Yost was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs. Caliche is undefeated when Yost posts three or more hits, but 2-9 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Colton Cochran, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Caliche always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 12 runs the game before, Merino was a bit more limited in their contest on Tuesday. They fell just short of Highland by a score of 4-2. The match marked the Rams' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Zavier Trenkle was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Trenkle wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Caleb Deines, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
With the defeat, Merino broke their four-game winning streak and moved their record to 10-5. As for Caliche, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Caliche has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Merino struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Caliche might still be hurting after the 16-0 loss they got from Merino when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Buffaloes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
