A one-run loss on Tuesday was tough to take, but the varsity Lady Cougars bounced back with a convincing 6-3 victory over Orestimba on the softball diamond on Thursday.

Late errors as the varsity squad hosted Ripon proved to be their undoing on Tuesday, with the Indians stealing a 4-3 win.

“They scored a couple runs in the first, we came back in the bottom of the first,” said coach Art Brooks.

Ripon was up 2-1 and then loaded the bases in the seventh, with Escalon helping them out with some errors that allowed runs to score.

“Their clean up hitter popped up with the bases loaded and we dropped the fly ball,” Brooks said.

But his team did battle back, scratching out two runs in the bottom of the inning to get close.

Adalia Cajias was hit by a pitch, Illiana Cajias reached on an error and Erica Victorino knocked them both in with a double. Escalon’s run in the first came on a walk to Lexi Prim, and an RBI triple by Anastasia Rodriguez.

Marissa Dominguez took the loss on the mound and Brooks listed Victorino as the player of the game on MaxPreps.

Friday, Prim got the nod for player of the game honors, with the varsity taking the win over Orestimba.

“They were actually 12-0 coming in,” Brooks said of handing the Warriors their first defeat. “We won, we played the way we should be playing.”

Escalon got one run in the fourth and five in the sixth, Orestimba countered with three in the top of the seventh to avoid the shutout.

“Everybody kind of contributed,” Brooks said.

Illiana Cajias and Prim had two hits each, while Prim added two stolen bases and an RBI, reaching base three times. Honda Hernandez had two RBIs and a triple, Ashley Schuurman also had a hit.

“Marissa had 11 strikeouts, she allowed six hits and was the winning pitcher,” Brooks said.

The girls were scheduled to play at Hughson on Tuesday, after The Times went to press, and will host Hilmar on Thursday, March 28.

JUNIOR VARSITY

Two more wins came for Escalon’s JV softball girls, including a tight 2-1 contest with Ripon.

“It was a nailbiter, yes,” said coach Malinda Walker.

The Tuesday game at home featured excellent pitching on both sides, she said, with Natalie Arnold starting for Escalon and Jordan Roberts coming on in relief.

“They scored one in the first, we scored two in the first and that was it,” Walker noted.

For the Escalon runs, Melissa Mullins walked, Nicole Luis bunted her to second, Cindy DeFreitas walked, and Natalie Arnold knocked in both runs with a single. Arnold pitched three strong innings with two strikeouts, Roberts went the final four and struck out six.

Thursday, a home game against Orestimba went in the books as a 13-1 win, the game going just five innings.

“Orestimba is a good team, we just started hitting,” Walker said.

Arnold was 2-for-2 with a double and triple, DeFreitas was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Ariel Strach was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

Arnold pitched three innings, striking out five, with Roberts closing it out, striking out six.