Merced was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 5-4 heartbreaker at the hands of the Buhach Colony Thunder. The Bears were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Thunder apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in April of 2025.
Luis Pineda
| 04/27/26 vs Buhach Colony | 2 |
| 04/20/26 @ Atwater | 1 |
| 04/13/26 @ Golden Valley | 0 |
| 03/25/26 @ Los Banos | 1 |
Luis Pineda was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
In other pitching news, Merced got a good showing from Xavian Morales, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Morales has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Bryce Jimenez made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Merced's record is now 6-19. As for Buhach Colony, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-17.
While Merced had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
