Merced Union High School District

It wasn’t pretty but the Merced High softball team found a way to extend their season with a 6-5 victory over Lodi in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs on Wednesday afternoon at Merced High. With half the team feeling under the weather, the Bears had to dig deep to keep their season alive and freshman Macey Saucedo delivered the key two-run single in the sixth inning that proved to be the game-winning hit.

 

The No. 6 seeded Bears won despite committing five errors which led to all five of the Flames’ runs being unearned. “Five errors, five runs all unearned,” said Merced coach Jennifer Moreno, whose team improved to 20-3 this season. “I think half of them are all sick. We’re figuring out how you push through, how do you carry on? Like I was telling them, it’s all about mental. Who’s going to show up mentally. Luckily we found a way. We didn’t quit when we went down.”

 

The Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning against the No. 11 Flames as Antonia LeJarde doubled in Saucedo with the first run of the game. Then with two runners in scoring position, Merced’s Mariah Higareda struck out on a ball in the dirt. When the Lodi catcher threw to first to complete the strikeout, LeJarde was able to break home from third and scored. The Flames then tried to throw out Madi Cabral at third base, but the throw went into left field, allowing Cabral to score to extend the Bears’ lead to 3-0.

 

Two Merced errors helped the Flames plate two runs in the top of the fourth inning to cut the lead to 3-2. The Bears led 4-2 in the fifth when Lodi’s Isabella Pantoja laced a single with the bases loaded to center that was misplayed in the outfield which allowed three runs to come into score to give the Flames a 5-4 lead.

 

Merced answered back in the sixth inning as Emma Ramirez reached on an error and Bree Pimentel singled. Both runners were in scoring position when Saucedo hit a soft pop up that landed over the shortstop’s head in left field to score Ramirez and Pimentel to give the Bears a 6-5 lead. “It wasn’t the prettiest hit ever,” Saucedo said. “I was just thinking put the ball in play and see what happens with their defense because I knew they were playing pretty deep (in the outfield).”

Merced ace Annalise Ramirez went the distance in the circle for the Bears as she did her best to navigate her way around the defensive mistakes. The right-hander surrendered just four hits and three walks and finished with seven strikeouts. Ramirez is now just two strikeouts away from 200 punchouts on the season.

 

Moreno says the Bears are lucky to have a four-year starter in Ramirez who can pitch through the miscues and keep her team in the game. “It’s hard on her mentally because she’s pitching our best game and all those runs are unearned,” Moreno said. “She’s doing what she had to do. She’s facing great hitters and she’s finding a way to at least contain them to a single. She’s a leader on the team, she’s rallying them behind her, we’ve just got to keep pushing through.”

 

Merced will face No. 3 Rocklin in the second round on Friday on the road. The Thunder defeated No. 14 Atwater 7-2 on Wednesday. Other MUHSD softball teams Buhach Colony, El Capitan and Livingston all lost in the first round.

 

The Bears hope they are feeling a little better on Friday and they’re happy to still be playing. “I feel this is a very good team and we deserve to move on to the next round,” Saucedo said. “I know that wasn’t our best game but we have better games in front of us. It’s definitely going to take a team effort, everyone’s energy has to be up, everyone has to be hitting. We’re all kind of sick right now. Our health isn’t the best, but we need to be on our best game.”

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.