Central Valley hasn't had much luck against Merced recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Hawks will challenge the Bears at 4:00 p.m. Central Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
It was a Battle of the Birds when Central Valley took on Atwater on Friday. The Hawks fell 10-6 to the Falcons. The Hawks have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Reylena Herrera made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Merced had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 12-3 margin over the Jaguars. The Bears might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 contests by six runs or more this season.
Annalise Ramirez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Maisen Priddell was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Antonia Lejarde was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Merced lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in April.
Merced pushed their record up to 23-4-1 with the win, which was their eighth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Central Valley, they now have a losing record of 13-14.
Central Valley suffered a grim 11-3 defeat to Merced in their previous meeting last Saturday. Can the Hawks avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
