By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Softball Split In League For Varsity Lady Cougars
Runners
Nicole Luis, 3, moves toward third base and has to pick up the pace as teammate Chardae Hoskins is close on her heels following a base hit to the outfield in Wednesdays game against Hughson. Marg Jackson/The Times

Turning back Hughson in Wednesday afternoon action, Escalon’s varsity softball girls couldn’t do the same against Ripon on Friday, ending the week with a split of their Trans-Valley League games.

They hosted both contests and on Wednesday, defeated Hughson by a final of 10-3.

“We scored three runs in the first,” head coach Art Brooks said of his Lady Cougars. “Mackenzie Duval tripled, Natalie Arnold squeezed her home, then Molly Brown tripled, Haylie Corriea had a single and an RBI.”

The host varsity squad put two more runs on the board in the second, four in the fourth and one in the fifth.

For the game, Mackenzie Duval went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple, Brown went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and three RBIs with Corriea chipping in a 3-for-4 day with three runs driven in and Arnold was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Cindy DeFreitas had a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs, with Morgan Reider and Laura Brasil each collecting a hit as well.

“Molly Brown was the winning pitcher, she allowed seven hits and struck out four,” noted Brooks of his pitcher going the distance.

Ripon came in on Friday and it was a game that Escalon let slip away, falling to the Lady Indians.

“It was 3-3 going into the seventh, we lost it 7-3,” Brooks said. “Ripon scored one in the first, we scored in the third, they got one in the fourth, one in the fifth and we tied it in the sixth.”

The back-and-forth game saw the teams knotted 3-3 after six innings, with Ripon able to score four runs in their final at-bat.

“Walks and errors killed us,” admitted Brooks. “Chardae Hoskins got the loss even though she kept her team in it with seven strikeouts.”

Hoskins also allowed five walks. The seventh inning saw Ripon take advantage of every opportunity, then withstand a Lady Cougar comeback attempt.

“We got a couple of runners on in the bottom of the seventh,” Brooks said. “I was proud of the way they fought to the last out.”

Corriea and Hoskins were each 2-for-4 with a triple, Hailie Webster went 2-for-2 with hits also coming from Ashley Duval, Mackenzie Duval and Natalie Arnold.

“We had nine hits and getting the RBIs were Molly Brown, Chardae and Hailie Webster,” added Brooks.

Escalon is on the road for a pair this week; they are scheduled to play at Hilmar today, Wednesday, April 20 and will be at Mountain House on Friday.