Earning a 6-4 road win at Hilmar on April 30, the Escalon varsity softball girls closed out their regular season with a 19-0 rout of Modesto Christian on May 2.
The girls will go to the playoffs, after learning that Orestimba lost on Thursday.
In the Tuesday road game, Escalon got single runs in the first and third, two runs each in the fifth and seventh innings.
Ashley Schuurman had an RBI single in the first to knock in Nicole Bianchi, while Bianchi scored in the third off a Honda Hernandez sacrifice fly.
“In the fifth, Honda had two RBIs, Lexi Prim and Ashley were on base and scored the runs,” said coach Art Brooks.
A two-RBI double from Anastasia Rodriguez drove in the same two runners in the seventh, as the Lady Cougars had a good day at the plate. Schuurman was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Hernandez was 1-for-3 with three runs batted in. Also getting hits were Prim, Adalia Cajias and Haley Yandell.
“Hilmar made it interesting, they scored a run and had the tying run at second in the seventh,” Brooks said. “They scored two in the fourth, one in the fifth and one in the seventh.”
Marissa Dominguez got the complete game win, seven strikeouts, three walks and four hits surrendered on the mound. Second baseman Erica Victorino had a solid game, said Brooks, handling plenty of chances.
“She did a good job,” said the coach.
On Thursday, it was a shutout victory over MC in five innings.
“Everyone got in, everyone contributed,” said Brooks. That included JV call-ups Jordan Roberts and Melissa Mullins, with Mullins recording a final inning put out in center field.
Bianchi was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Prim was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored; Schuurman, 1-for-3, double, three RBIs and three runs scored; Rodriguez, 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored; Hernandez, 3-for-4, double, two RBIs, run scored.
Also, Adalia Cajias, 1-for-3, run scored; Illiana Cajias, 2-for-4, double, three RBIs, two runs scored; Dominguez, 4-for-4. Kymberly Tompson came in to run for Dominguez and had two runs scored.
“Marissa pitched, she had 10 strikeouts in five innings, one walk, and one hit, she gave that up to the leadoff hitter and that was it,” Brooks said. “It was our Senior Day and what a way to finish, it was the team play we’ve been looking for all season.”
The girls finished at 7-5 in Trans-Valley League play and will start the playoffs on Thursday, May 16 at Arnaiz Field against the No. 1 seed from the Mother Lode League.
“We finished strong and they did what they needed to do,” Brooks said of closing out the season with wins to insure their spot in the postseason.
