In what Coach Art Brooks described as an “ugly” game, the Escalon varsity softball girls dismantled host Mountain House in their Trans-Valley League opener on Thursday.

Their originally scheduled league opener, against Ripon on Tuesday, March 21 was rained out and will be made up in a Monday, April 3 game.

On the road for the March 23 contest, Brooks said it was a run-shortened five inning game.

“Molly Brown took a perfect game into the fifth inning,” Brooks said. “But that inning she gave up a walk and a hit, that’s how they scored their one run.”

Mountain House avoided the shutout but fell far short of Escalon’s run total, the Lady Cougars taking a very lopsided win.

“We had no shortage of offense,” Brooks agreed.

Leading the way were Chardae Hoskins, 3-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in; Molly Brown, 3-for-5 with a double and four RBI; Mackenzie Duval, 2-for-3 with a triple and five RBI.

Hannah Boyd was 2-for-3 with a double and drove in five runs as well, while Sage Davis was 2-for-2, walked, was hit by a pitch and had two runs batted in. One of her hits was a home run.

Morgan Reider was 2-for-2 with an RBI, Haley Boyd and Grace Fitzgerald each added a hit in the TVL victory.

Brown, who got the win, struck out nine in the game while allowing just the one hit and one walk in five innings pitched.

The girls were scheduled to continue the league schedule, hosting Hughson at home Tuesday, March 28 after The Times went to press and will be at Hilmar for a Thursday, March 30 contest. If all goes as planned, the JV girls will get in their first league games of the season this week as well.