Merced extended their losing streak to four on Friday, dropping them down to 1-7. They came up short against the El Capitan Gauchos, falling 14-1. Unfortunately, that's the third time they've come up short against the Gauchos this season, with their most recent defeat being a 8-0 loss on Wednesday.
Merced saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dylan Speidel, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
As for El Capitan, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 6-3. Considering they have won three matchups by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
On El Capitan's side, Zach Hunter made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Hunter has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double. That double was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Noah Ruiz was incredible, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March of 2025. Angel Rivera was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one double.
We've got plenty of inter-league action coming up soon. Merced will face off against rival Los Banos at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, El Capitan is set to challenge their familiar foe Atwater at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Gauchos 4, the Falcons 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
