The Merino Rams will take on the Simla Cubs at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in Merino's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three contests.
Merino barely beat Otis the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Rams were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Bulldogs on Saturday. The Rams might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by ten runs or more this season.
Coen Schmidt
| 04/12/25 vs Otis | 10 |
| 03/25/25 vs Wiggins | 9 |
| 03/17/25 vs Yuma | 9 |
| 04/05/25 vs Akron | 6 |
| 05/16/24 vs Akron | 6 |
Coen Schmidt was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out ten batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and only one walk). Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 4-for-5.
In other batting news, Isaac Poe was incredible, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. What's more, he posted three hits, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. Mickey Swiger was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Merino always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Simla unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Saturday. They fell just short of Peyton by a score of 6-4.
Simla saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tatum Kocerha, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4. Kocerha has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
Merino has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Simla, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Merino has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Simla struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Merino took their victory against Simla in their previous meeting back in May of 2022 by a conclusive 17-7 score. Will the Rams repeat their success, or do the Cubs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
