An extra inning win and a last inning loss made for a roller coaster week for Escalon's varsity Lady Cougars on the softball diamond.
Splitting the league contests, the girls stayed at the .500 mark in TVL action with a 3-3 record.
They won at Riverbank on Wednesday, defeating the host Lady Bruins 3-2 in nine innings.
Escalon scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, then the winning run in the top of the ninth.
"In the third inning, Jen Costa singled and stole second, she scored on Amanda Ainsworth's RBI single," said coach Dianne Teixeira.
Fourth inning action featured a two-out rally by the visiting Lady Cougars.
"Carmen Dollarhide singled with two outs and then stole second," Teixeira said. "Stephanie Jones singled to drive her in."
Riverbank got back in the game with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the contest, with the teams playing a scoreless seventh and eighth. Then it went to the international tiebreaker rules, with the Lady Cougars capitalizing.
Dollarhide started at second, Ainsworth attempted to bunt her over but the bunt actually went for a single and Dollarhide poured it on, coming around to score from second.
"We had her running," agreed Teixeira, hoping to make something happen.
Escalon got the outs needed in the bottom of the ninth without a run scoring, taking the win.
"Our defense just played well," Teixeira said. "Kelly Colin did an awesome job at third base."
On the other side of the field, the coach said the Riverbank players also did well, making some great defensive plays of their own to keep the game close.
"Riverbank always haunts us," admitted Teixeira.
But the game went down as a win, Jen Costa getting the victory on the mound with a five-hit effort. She struck out two.
Ainsworth drove in a pair of runs on the afternoon, Dollarhide scored two runs and Costa rapped out three hits while scoring a run.
Friday, the girls were on the home field to host Hughson and took the lead going into the top of the seventh.
"You go up 4-3, you think you can get three outs," Teixeira said.
But Hughson refused to go quietly and scored three runs in the inning, stealing a 6-4 victory away from the host team.
The Huskies got one run in the second, Escalon countered with three in the bottom of the third.
Dollarhide singled, Sara Welch walked and two runs came in when Amanda Ainsworth reached on an error. Shannon Krein followed with a ground out RBI that brought Ainsworth in from third. The Lady Cougars extended the lead to 4-1 in the fourth, Colin walked and stole both second and third. Welch drove her in with a hit.
"We got it going," said Teixeira of taking the lead.
Hughson scratched back for a pair of runs in the fifth to trim the lead to 4-3 and then erupted for three runs in the seventh.
"The first girl, we got out," the coach noted of the seventh inning. "Then they got a single, we got the second out, then they had a single, a double and another single, they had those back-to-back hits."
Escalon put the ball in play in their half of the frame, but the Hughson defense was up to the challenge and the host girls went down in order to end the game.
Megan Velting took the loss, allowing nine hits over the seven innings. She struck out one and walked one.
"We're tied for third place with Hilmar right now," Teixeira said. "This week we will be at Livingston on Wednesday, we should get them, and Hilmar is a very beatable team, we have them at home Friday and hopefully we can get some revenge, they beat us at their place."
Both games begin at 4 p.m.
By MARG JACKSON
Splitting the league contests, the girls stayed at the .500 mark in TVL action with a 3-3 record.
They won at Riverbank on Wednesday, defeating the host Lady Bruins 3-2 in nine innings.
Escalon scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, then the winning run in the top of the ninth.
"In the third inning, Jen Costa singled and stole second, she scored on Amanda Ainsworth's RBI single," said coach Dianne Teixeira.
Fourth inning action featured a two-out rally by the visiting Lady Cougars.
"Carmen Dollarhide singled with two outs and then stole second," Teixeira said. "Stephanie Jones singled to drive her in."
Riverbank got back in the game with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the contest, with the teams playing a scoreless seventh and eighth. Then it went to the international tiebreaker rules, with the Lady Cougars capitalizing.
Dollarhide started at second, Ainsworth attempted to bunt her over but the bunt actually went for a single and Dollarhide poured it on, coming around to score from second.
"We had her running," agreed Teixeira, hoping to make something happen.
Escalon got the outs needed in the bottom of the ninth without a run scoring, taking the win.
"Our defense just played well," Teixeira said. "Kelly Colin did an awesome job at third base."
On the other side of the field, the coach said the Riverbank players also did well, making some great defensive plays of their own to keep the game close.
"Riverbank always haunts us," admitted Teixeira.
But the game went down as a win, Jen Costa getting the victory on the mound with a five-hit effort. She struck out two.
Ainsworth drove in a pair of runs on the afternoon, Dollarhide scored two runs and Costa rapped out three hits while scoring a run.
Friday, the girls were on the home field to host Hughson and took the lead going into the top of the seventh.
"You go up 4-3, you think you can get three outs," Teixeira said.
But Hughson refused to go quietly and scored three runs in the inning, stealing a 6-4 victory away from the host team.
The Huskies got one run in the second, Escalon countered with three in the bottom of the third.
Dollarhide singled, Sara Welch walked and two runs came in when Amanda Ainsworth reached on an error. Shannon Krein followed with a ground out RBI that brought Ainsworth in from third. The Lady Cougars extended the lead to 4-1 in the fourth, Colin walked and stole both second and third. Welch drove her in with a hit.
"We got it going," said Teixeira of taking the lead.
Hughson scratched back for a pair of runs in the fifth to trim the lead to 4-3 and then erupted for three runs in the seventh.
"The first girl, we got out," the coach noted of the seventh inning. "Then they got a single, we got the second out, then they had a single, a double and another single, they had those back-to-back hits."
Escalon put the ball in play in their half of the frame, but the Hughson defense was up to the challenge and the host girls went down in order to end the game.
Megan Velting took the loss, allowing nine hits over the seven innings. She struck out one and walked one.
"We're tied for third place with Hilmar right now," Teixeira said. "This week we will be at Livingston on Wednesday, we should get them, and Hilmar is a very beatable team, we have them at home Friday and hopefully we can get some revenge, they beat us at their place."
Both games begin at 4 p.m.
By MARG JACKSON
