Spring sports continue to roll on for Escalon, with multiple contests on the schedule.
On the tennis court, it has been a successful season so far for the Cougars.
They kept up a hectic pace this past week, taking on three opponents and winning all three matches.
The team played Orestimba on March 23 and got a 6-3 win; faced Millennium on March 25 and shut them out 9-0, then came back with a strong 7-2 victory over Sonora on the home court Thursday, March 26.
Against Sonora in Trans-Valley League play, wins on Thursday came for Nathan Rose and Brien Novetzke in boys singles, number one Rose winning 6-1, 6-0 and number two Novetzke winning 6-0, 6-1.
The girls singles, Brianna Gallo and Marina Franzia, took losses in hard fought matches.
All of Escalon’s doubles teams put wins on the books on Thursday. Boys number one doubles Luca Cerasi and Ben Ferreira won 6-0, 6-0; boys number two doubles Logan Wentzell and Christian Ramirez won 2-6, 6-4, 10-6. In girls doubles, number one duo Emma Rangel and Chloe Green swept to a 6-0, 6-3 win while number two girls Haven MacKinnon and Alaina Mancilla took a 6-1, 6-0 victory. Mixed doubles Selah Jansen and Co Northcutt shut out their Sonora counterparts, 6-0, 6-0.
Non-league action Wednesday at home against Millennium was the sweep; taking the court for Escalon were Rose and Novetzke at boys singles, Gallo and Franzia in girls singles.
Cerasi and Ferreira teamed up again in boys number one doubles, while Wentzell and Conner McDowell were the number two boys doubles team. Rangel and Green, MacKinnon and Mancilla were winners in girls doubles with Ramirez and Jansen securing the win in mixed doubles.
The team started off the week against Orestimba in TVL, with Rose and Novetzke getting wins in boys singles play. Cerasi and Ferreira were victorious in boys doubles. Rangel and Green, MacKinnon and Mancilla won their girls doubles matches, Jansen and Northcutt were straight set winners in mixed doubles.
Only losses of the day to Orestimba were Gallo and Franzia in girls singles, Wentzell and Ramirez in boys doubles.
BASEBALL
After taking an 8-3 win on the road Wednesday against Ripon Christian, the Escalon varsity baseball boys suffered their first TVL loss of the season at home on Friday, March 27 as RC took that contest, 9-6.
“Zach Wells pitched six innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out eight,” head coach Gino Franceschetti said of the Wednesday contest. “Dylan Ball, Brody Abbott and Aiden Ramirez each had two hits.”
It was a clutch three-run homer in the top of the seventh by Abbott that helped Escalon secure the win, the coach added.
Friday, it was a tough outing on the mound for Abbott, as he pitched just three innings against the Knights before being tossed out of the game, allowing six runs.
Escalon rallied back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and tied it in the bottom of the sixth, going to the seventh in a 6-6 deadlock.
Some defensive miscues spelled trouble for the host team in the top of the seventh, and Ripon Christian took full advantage, scoring three runs in the top of that inning. Escalon couldn’t respond in the bottom of the seventh and lost their first TVL contest.
Logan Huebner hit a two-run homer in the Friday afternoon game.
Escalon had a make-up non-league game against Weston Ranch on March 30 and edged out the visitors 9-8 in a battle of the Cougars.
The varsity squad improved to 13-3 overall with the two wins this week and are now 5-1 in TVL play.
For the JV boys, it was a satisfying sweep of Ripon Christian, putting a 14-4 win on the books on March 25, a 13-3 victory on March 27.
“On Wednesday, Dominic Rissetto and Cade Riesenbeck both had two RBI each,” head coach Roman Gonzalez said. “Landen Decroix did not allow a hit through two-and-two-thirds innings and overall, we had a good day of hitting.”
A solid outing on the mound for Riesenbeck on Friday saw him get the win, allowing just three runs on two hits, striking out seven and walking two.
Christian Camara had a triple to drive in a run in the third to help the team get going offensively.
The JV boys won their home non-league game against Weston Ranch on March 30 by an 11-6 final.
SOFTBALL
It was two victories for Escalon’s varsity softball girls in recent action, defeating Orestimba on March 24 and taking a road win at Sonora on March 26.
Hosting the Trans-Valley League contest with the Orestimba Warriors on March 24, Escalon earned a 6-3 victory.
Getting the win on the mound was Tenley Adams, scattering three hits and allowing just one run in her five innings of work. She also struck out six. Lauryn Siegel came on in relief.
Escalon took control with a four-run fourth inning and offensive leaders were Madison Babasa, 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored; Addy Lopez with four RBI on the day; and Lizzy Allan going 3-for-3.
Thursday the girls headed up the hill to take on Sonora in another TVL contest and poured it on offensively, coming away with a 22-2 win. Helping account for early runs were Jessy-Lynn Kessler driving in a pair with a single in the first inning, an RBI single from Allan and a bases loaded walk for Ari Velasco also bringing in a run. Seven runs in the third inning – after the Lady Cougars added a couple more in the second – helped put the game out of Sonora’s reach. Multiple hits on the day came from Kesler, Adams, Allan and Kyla Holback. Babasa had a key three-run double in the victory while Velasco and Adams each had two-run doubles. Holback was the winning pitcher.
The JV Lady Cougars split their games, falling to Orestimba 10-9 on March 24 and then coming back to win a 17-9 decision March 26 at Sonora.
Against Orestimba, Avery Bartelink had four hits, an RBI and scored two runs. Victoria Marrufo had a hit and scored two runs with two RBI from Brooke Covello.
Starting pitcher in the win over Sonora was Kaylynn McCutcheon, with Hana Oliver coming on in relief.
Covello drove in four runs, scored three and had three hits on the day against the Lady Wildcats. Cheyenne Brisendine had two hits and scored four runs, while Rosario Quintana had four hits and drove in three.
The softball girls were scheduled to host Hilmar on March 31 and won’t play again until they are at Linden for an April 8 non-league contest.
TRACK AND FIELD
On Wednesday, March 25, the Cougar track and field team hosted Sonora for the first dual track meet of the season. The varsity Cougar boys lost to Sonora by an 85-51 decision as the boys “could not overcome Sonora’s superb distance runners and shot-put throwers,” said Escalon head coach Arend Jones.
The Escalon varsity girls, meanwhile, beat Sonora 92 to 44.
Junior Caleb Boatman broke Sonora’s grip in throwing with a big personal record in discus and getting first for the Cougars with a throw of 121 feet, 11 inches. Sophomore Jake Ferreira had a major role for the Cougars too, getting multiple personal records and scoring first in triple jump with 38 feet 7 inches, first in long jump with 18 feet 4 inches and second in the 100 meter sprint with 11.7 seconds. Sophomore Ian Trejo got first in high jump with 5 feet 8 inches and second in the 300 hurdles at 42.2 seconds. Senior Drew Bellinger took first in the 110 hurdles with 20.0 seconds, and senior Co Northcutt got first also in the 400 meter sprint with 52.6 seconds, while junior K’oz Castro got second in the 200 meter sprint with 24.0 seconds.
For the girls, senior Jasmine Barron took first in the 100 meter sprint with 13.8 seconds. Junior Brynn Caton got second in the 200 meter sprint with 29.4 seconds. Sophomore Georgia Northcutt got first in the 400 meter sprint with 1 minute 4.8 seconds and second in the 800 meter run with 2 minutes 40.4 seconds. Sophomore Ava Rodriguez got first in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles with times of 19.4 seconds and 49.6 seconds, respectively.
“The girls secured first, second, and third in shot-put and discus by seniors Gloria Segura, Gracie Airola, and Marissa Terry in shot-put all throwing over 30 feet,” Jones explained, “and in discus, Gloria Segura and Marissa again along with sophomore Karyna Dalpogetti, all throwing over 80 feet.”
Sophomore Ronni Keo got first in high jump with 4 feet 6 inches and second in triple jump with 28 feet 11 inches. Senior Annabelle Armstrong got first in pole vault with 8 feet 6 inches and second in 100 meter sprint with 13.8 seconds.
“In long jump the girls swept all three places with junior Brynn Caton jumping 15 feet, sophomore Emma Strong going 13 feet 9 inches and freshman Abigail Perreira going 13 feet,” Jones said.
And in triple jump the girls also swept it with freshman Sandra Rowe winning with a jump of 30 feet 2 inches, Keo second with 28 feet 11 inches and Strong going 27 feet for third place.
Next, the Cougars host Hilmar on April 1.
GOLF
Escalon golfers suited up for the Trans-Valley League meet number four, hosted by Ripon, this past week and though they had some good performances, the team overall finished sixth in the team standings on the day. Ripon was first with a team score of 365, followed by Ripon Christian, Hughson, Hilmar, Sonora and then Escalon at 472, just two strokes behind Sonora.
Senior Brenden Berchtold carded the low round of 86 for Escalon with fellow senior Donovan Martinez coming in next with a 94. Freshman Daniel Nixon shot a 95 for the team, sophomore Luke Gutierrez had a 96. Coming in at 101 was freshman Joey Calcagno and sophomore Leo Serrano rounded out the team effort with a 106.
“Luke and Daniel had their best rounds ever,” head coach Brandon Hoover said. “Brenden continues to consistently shoot in the 80’s.”
The team is next scheduled to play at the Turlock Country Club on Thursday, April 2.
VOLLEYBALL
With just one game on the schedule this past week, the Escalon varsity volleyball boys fell by a 3-1 final to Big Valley Christian on the road Monday, March 23. The boys battled the Lions, falling 14-25 and 10-25 in the first two sets before coming back to win the third by a 25-22 final. But Big Valley completed the win with a 25-19 decision in set four.
The boys are next scheduled to play at Ripon on April 1 and host Orestimba on Monday, April 6.
Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this report.
