The season series against Modesto Christian saw the JV Cougar baseball team lose on the road but win at home. The games were Tuesday, April 9 and Wednesday, April 10.
At MC on Tuesday, the final was 7-6 in favor of the home team.
“We scored three in the first,” coach Ken Baptista said of his squad getting off to a good start.
Unfortunately, the Crusaders did them one better, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Then the teams started trading runs, said Baptista, seeming to match each other the rest of the way.
“We had a chance in the seventh,” he added, down one entering the frame.
Escalon had runners at first and second with one out and Evan Bava sent a shot to left field. With the wind blowing, the ball got knocked down and the fielder made the catch, then was able to double up the runner on second for the double play to end the game.
Demetrius Teixeira went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and took the tough loss on the mound. Alex Guevara was 2-for-2 with two runs driven in.
Wednesday, the JV Cougars took a 6-3 win off the field, with Guevara getting the start on the mound.
“He went five innings and allowed three runs plus used his defense,” Baptista noted of Guevara.
The team played strong behind him, turning three double plays on the day.
“It was back and forth again, we tied it in the bottom of the fourth,” said the coach. “Then we took the lead with a three-run sixth, got a couple of steals, took advantage of an error.”
It was an emotional game, as catcher Cameron LoValvo had a couple of collisions with MC players at the plate, incidents that actually saw the MC coach and one player – who didn’t slide and instead ran over LoValvo – thrown out of the game.
“I’m proud of our guys, they kept their cool,” Baptista said of not buying in to the style of play the Crusaders brought with them. “It was a total team game.”
LoValvo went 2-for-3 to help lead the way. Giavanni Brunetti came in to pitch two innings and got the win.
Saturday, the JV boys had the chance to play at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton and earned a 7-3 win over Linden.
“It was another great game,” Baptista said.
Teixeira went three innings, allowing one run on two hits; Orion Hoover went three innings and allowed a run on two hits as well. Coming on in the seventh to close the door was Josh Miller, who induced a double play ball and a fly ball to center.
Cam Maruyama was 2-for-3, Mark-Anthony Valente and LoValvo were each 2-for-4 and Guevara went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Maruyama also played some solid defense, said the coach.
The JV boys finished the week at 6-2, second in league to Livingston. They were slated to play at Hughson on Tuesday, after The Times went to press, and host the Huskies on Thursday, April 18 at 4 p.m.
