Merced has not done well against Golden Valley recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Merced Bears had just enough and edged the Golden Valley Cougars out 4-3. This was payback for Merced, who suffered a 2-1 defeat the last time these two teams met.
Annalise Ramirez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in six consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Madison Cabral was excellent, going 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
On Golden Valley's side, they also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Bree Barner gave up three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 15 Ks.
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.
The victory got Merced back to even at 10-10-1. As for Golden Valley, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 9-12.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Merced will take on Atwater at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Golden Valley, they will be playing at home against El Capitan at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Golden Valley is facing El Capitan at the right time seeing as El Capitan is stuck on a nine-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
