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Softball Squads Win, Lose In NorCal Games
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Two losses and one win went on the books for the varsity Lady Cougars during spring break action, while the JV girls were on a roll when they were victimized by the weather.

For the varsity, games in the NorCal Tournament were played in Tracy and they opened up with a 6-4 loss to Beyer on Thursday, April 24.

“Beyer scored early, we were playing catch up most of the game,” said coach Art Brooks. “They got a three-run triple in the sixth that sealed the win.”

Escalon did get two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t bring them in.

Kristin Beckman went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run batted in, Melissa Mullins was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Also collecting hits were Haley Yandell, Marisol Diaz-Morales, Honda Hernandez and Mady Costa. Yandell allowed four hits and two walks, taking the loss.

In a rainy, muddy game next with Mariposa, it was an 8-1 loss.

“We just didn’t show up, we didn’t play well,” Brooks said, noting that Jordan Roberts got the start and went two-and-two-thirds, with Yandell then coming on in relief. Beckman drove in Escalon’s only run, Diaz-Morales had a double, Costa, Roberts and Mackenzie Duval had hits.

In the finale against Pitman, the girls came away with a 1-0 win.

“Haley put the team on her back, she kept their hitters off balance and allowed just four hits, had one strikeout and the defense did a good job behind her,” explained Brooks.

Mullins singled and scored on a hit from Hernandez for the game’s only run. Other hits came from Costa, Beckman, Diaz-Morales and Duval.

“Mullins was 3-for-3 on the day and she went 5-for-9 overall in the tournament with a couple of steals and she played solid in centerfield,” Brooks said.

The girls close out the regular season with a game today, Wednesday, April 30 at Hughson.

 

Junior Varsity

After starting out the NorCal Tournament with a 10-0 loss to St. Mary’s, the JV girls bounced back to take a shutout win of their own, 16-0 against a team from Nevada.

Coach Rory Stoycoff said the St. Mary’s loss was the “very worst game” the team has played this season, getting no hits and committing six errors. They were able to put that debacle from Thursday morning behind them and came back with a 16-0 win over Zephyr Cove of Nevada. Natalie Arnold struck out nine, Haley Boyd went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs.

Friday morning, they faced off with West High of Tracy and won by a 16-0 final.

“Natalie had a home run, two doubles, Kalee VonAlvensleben made three outstanding defensive plays and went 2-for-3, everybody got a hit,” Stoycoff said.

“That matched up against an undefeated East Union team and we were ready to play,” Stoycoff added, his squad eager for the challenge. Escalon set the side down in order in the top of the first, Arnold fired up to pitch against the Lancers.

“Bottom of the first, we had a runner on second and that’s when the thunder and lightning came and we headed for the ark,” Stoycoff said of the Friday downpour that forced cancellation of the game.

The teams may try to schedule a time to make it up, as they were definitely looking forward to playing each other, said Stoycoff.

For now, the girls will have to be content with a 2-1 mark from the tourney and finish up the league season, traveling to Hughson for the final TVL game today, April 30.