Giants Take Series Lead with 17-5 Win at Merced
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 16 | 0 |
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1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 3 |
MERCED, Calif. – College of the Sequoias had a high offensive output on Wednesday afternoon, pulling away for a 17-5 victory over Merced.
The Giants (18-15, 12-5) piled up 16 hits and used multiple big innings to turn a tight early game into a runaway win.
Merced struck first in the opening inning before Sequoias responded in the second, when Hayden Elchlepp (Stockdale HS) drove in a run with a double. Merced answered with two solo home runs in the second to take a 3-1 lead. The Giants then evened the game in the fourth, as Walker Selley scored on an error and Jaxon Griffiths (Redwood HS) followed with an RBI groundout to make it 3-3.
The Giants took control with a five-run fifth inning. Joshua Barajas (Central East HS) delivered an RBI single to give COS the lead, and the offense capitalized on defensive miscues and a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 8-3.
Sequoias continued to build momentum in the sixth, adding two more runs, before breaking the game open in the seventh with a six-run inning. Solomon Anderson delivered the biggest swing of the day, hitting a three-run home run that capped the rally and pushed the lead to 16-4.
Walker Selley paced the offense with a 4-for-5 performance, scoring four times and driving in a run, while Aiden Medina (Hoover HS) and Kadyn Kirkley (Bakersfield Christian HS) each recorded three hits. Elchlepp added three hits and two RBIs, and Anderson finished with three RBIs to lead the Giants.
On the mound, Noah Gonzales (Hanford HS) earned the win in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. The bullpen combined to keep Merced quiet after the fifth, helping the Giants pull away.
"We had great energy offensively and kept putting pressure on them all game," Head Coach Scott Laird said. "Once we got going, we stayed aggressive, kept the line moving, and did a good job taking advantage of opportunities."
On Deck
College of the Sequoias will look to carry that momentum as they look for the series sweep over Merced today at the COS Baseball Field at 2:00 p.m. They will continue their homestand next week when they host Taft College on Monday, April 13 and Fresno City on Tuesday, April 14, both slated to begin at 2:00 p.m.
