The Dos Palos Broncos will face off against the East Bakersfield Blades at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Dos Palos came out on top against Coalinga on Tuesday thanks in part to the team’s impressive four-run first inning. The Broncos took their matchup against the Horned Toads 7-4.
Chaz Merrell
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Chaz Merrell made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Dos Palos is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 12-13 otherwise. Merrell was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he’s now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he’s played.
In other batting news, Dos Palos let Gannon Hurd and Tevin Clay run wild. Hurd went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI, while Clay went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Dos Palos is 6-1 when Clay posts two or more runs, but 8-13 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Jax Soares, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, East Bakersfield came tearing into last Thursday’s game with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.1 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Suns with a sharp 12-1 victory. Considering the Blades have won 11 contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday’s blowout was nothing new.
Mena Isaac and SEBASTIAN MENDOZA made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Isaac pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, MENDOZA tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. At the plate, Isaac went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI, while MENDOZA went 4-for-5 with five RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. Those five RBI gave MENDOZA a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on NOAH FERGUSON, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of RANDY LENOIR, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
East Bakersfield’s win bumped their record up to 14-6. As for Dos Palos, the victory got them back to even at 14-14.