New Plymouth is 2-8 against Melba since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Pilgrims will challenge the Mustangs at 5:30 p.m. New Plymouth is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.8 runs per game this season.
While New Plymouth didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-12-1), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victors by a 15-4 margin over Vision on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Pilgrims in their matchups with Vision: they've now won six in a row.
Bradin Padgett made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Padgett was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with six RBI and one double. That double was his first of the season.
Marcus Garcia
| 04/01/25 @ Vision | 4 |
| 03/21/25 @ Weiser | 2 |
| 03/15/25 vs American Falls | 3 |
| 03/13/25 @ Fruitland | 1 |
| 04/10/24 @ Marsing | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
In other pitching news, Marcus Garcia looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March of 2024.
Back at the plate, Payton Zigga was incredible, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Cooper Shaw, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
New Plymouth always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Vision only posted an OBP of .308.
Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Melba's offense. They fell 5-0 to Nampa Christian on Tuesday. The match marked the first time this season in which the Mustangs were not able to get on the board.
Melba saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cooper Brooks, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
New Plymouth pushed their record up to 6-3 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Melba, their loss dropped their record down to 5-4.
New Plymouth couldn't quite finish off Melba in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 and fell 11-9. Can the Pilgrims avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
