vs
| 03/25/25 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 03/06/25 - Away | 3-2 W |
| 03/11/24 - Away | 3-5 L |
| 02/28/20 - Home | 3-1 W |
| 03/07/19 - Neutral | 3-0 W |
| + 4 more games |
Merced is 7-2 against Los Banos since February of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Bears will head out on the road to square off against the Tigers at 4:00 p.m. Merced will be looking to extend their current 11-game winning streak.
Merced can't be too worried about heading out to take on Los Banos: they just beat Atwater at home, who had been dominant on their own field up to that point. The Bears came out on top against the Falcons by a score of 4-0 on Wednesday. The game was the first time the Bears have beaten the Falcons on their field since April 12, 2022.
Annalise Ramirez was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Ramirez wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Haiden Priddell, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Los Banos fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Golden Valley on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Cougars by a score of 4-3. That's two games in a row now that the Tigers have lost by just one run.
Mya Arista spent all 9.1 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 15 Ks.
On the hitting side, Gracie Orozco made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Avery Vierra was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 1-for-5.
Merced pushed their record up to 15-2-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Los Banos, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-9 record this season.
Merced took their win against Los Banos in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bears since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
