Big Early Innings Power Taft College Past Merced in 12-10 Slugfest

MERCED, Calif. — Taft College built a double-digit lead behind an explosive start, then survived a late surge to outslug Merced 12-10 on Thursday afternoon in nonconference action.

The Cougars seized control with an eight-run outburst in the top of the second inning and added four more runs in the fourth to go up 12-4, a cushion that proved just enough as Merced chipped away the rest of the way. Merced scored three times in the eighth and brought the tying run to the plate, but Taft College closed the door to secure the road victory.

Taft's decisive second inning started with quality at-bats throughout the lineup. Ty Moore delivered the first big swing, ripping a two-run double to jump-start the rally. Edel Guemarez followed with a two-run single, and the Cougars kept the line moving with RBI hits from Eian Peralta and Landon Angelo. When the inning finally ended, Taft had turned a scoreless game into an 8-0 advantage, capitalizing on a string of hits and a Merced miscue.

Merced answered with four runs in the bottom of the second, using an RBI single from Solomon Ali and a series of hits and a fielder's choice to trim the deficit to 8-4. But the Cougars responded again in the fourth. Hayden Ryan and Aiden Otano each launched solo home runs, and Gaku Yamamoto followed with an unearned two-run shot to right that pushed the lead to 12-4 and capped Taft's final scoring of the day.

Offensively, Taft finished with 12 runs on 13 hits and took advantage of three Merced errors. Ryan led the attack with a three-hit day, going 3-for-5 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored. Yamamoto reached base four times, homering as part of a 2-for-2 effort with two walks, two RBIs and two runs. Moore added a key two-run double and a walk, helping the Cougars build their early cushion.

Merced made the game tight late, totaling 10 runs on 17 hits but stranding 11 runners. The hosts cut the margin to 12-7 with three runs in the fourth, highlighted by an Alex Jones double, an RBI single from Koen Heupel and a sacrifice fly by Henry Warden. In the eighth, Heupel singled in front of Warden, who drilled a two-run homer, and Karson Valenti added a solo shot to bring Merced within 12-10 before Taft's pitching staff recorded the final outs.

While Merced's late offense created drama, the Cougars' early offensive surge proved decisive. Taft's ability to stack productive plate appearances in the second and fourth innings, combined with timely power from Ryan, Otano and Yamamoto, gave the Cougars enough of a margin to withstand Merced's rallies and leave with a hard-fought road win.