Winning both games this week, the varsity baseball Cougars got an outstanding effort from Aaron Pangilinan, who tossed a no hitter and also homered to lead his team to a 7-0 win over Ripon Christian on Tuesday.
The Cougars hosted the Knights in the non-league game on March 15 and Pangilinan had 15 strikeouts in the game. He threw 87 pitches, hitting one batter and giving up no walks. Escalon had two errors.
Pangilinan also sent a solo shot over the right field fence in the third inning while he added an RBI single in the fifth to help his own cause. Matt Valencia had an RBI double, Patrick Mulry was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
"Trey did a great job calling the game," coach Greg Largent said of catcher Trey Balber mixing up the pitches and helping Pangilinan keep the RC hitters off base.
Balber also manufactured a run the sixth, getting on with a single and stealing second, then advancing on a ground ball and scoring on a fielders' choice from Josh Miguel. Miguel then scored on Mulry's RBI double.
The Cougars had jumped out on top in the first inning, Miguel leading off with a walk and taking third when the pick off throw to second was wide. He then scored on a passed ball. Pangilinan worked out a two-out walk and moved to second on a Valencia single, scoring later on an error.
"Thursday we hosted Downey and we took a 3-2 win in eight innings," Largent explained. "This was the make up of a previously rained out game."
In the first inning, a two-out single by Mulry was followed by a Pangilinan RBI double. Downey tied it up in the second inning, Escalon went ahead 2-1 in the fourth and Downey got a single run in the seventh to tie it.
"They had a sacrifice fly that tied it, then we got a nice 1-6-3 (pitcher to shortstop to first) double play to get out of the inning," said Largent. Escalon went quietly in the seventh, Downey was quiet in the eighth and Escalon got the game winner in the bottom of the eighth.
Miguel reached first base on a dropped third strike, stole second and went to third on the overthrow, then scored on a ground ball by Gino Franceschetti.
Valencia got the start, and threw 81 pitches through seven innings. Brandon Shaw came on in relief in the eighth, working with Josh Vandagriff behind the plate, and threw nine pitches to get the three outs. With the Cougars getting a run in the bottom of the frame, Shaw got credit for the win.
Valencia went seven strong, striking out five and allowing no walks, five hits.
Mulry was 2-for-3, Pangilinan 2-for-2 and the Cougars got single hits from Valencia and Franceschetti in the win.
The Cougars had a first game league bye on Tuesday - scheduled to go to East Union if the weather allowed it - and will be at Riverbank to start Trans-Valley League play on Tuesday, March 29.
The Cougars hosted the Knights in the non-league game on March 15 and Pangilinan had 15 strikeouts in the game. He threw 87 pitches, hitting one batter and giving up no walks. Escalon had two errors.
Pangilinan also sent a solo shot over the right field fence in the third inning while he added an RBI single in the fifth to help his own cause. Matt Valencia had an RBI double, Patrick Mulry was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
"Trey did a great job calling the game," coach Greg Largent said of catcher Trey Balber mixing up the pitches and helping Pangilinan keep the RC hitters off base.
Balber also manufactured a run the sixth, getting on with a single and stealing second, then advancing on a ground ball and scoring on a fielders' choice from Josh Miguel. Miguel then scored on Mulry's RBI double.
The Cougars had jumped out on top in the first inning, Miguel leading off with a walk and taking third when the pick off throw to second was wide. He then scored on a passed ball. Pangilinan worked out a two-out walk and moved to second on a Valencia single, scoring later on an error.
"Thursday we hosted Downey and we took a 3-2 win in eight innings," Largent explained. "This was the make up of a previously rained out game."
In the first inning, a two-out single by Mulry was followed by a Pangilinan RBI double. Downey tied it up in the second inning, Escalon went ahead 2-1 in the fourth and Downey got a single run in the seventh to tie it.
"They had a sacrifice fly that tied it, then we got a nice 1-6-3 (pitcher to shortstop to first) double play to get out of the inning," said Largent. Escalon went quietly in the seventh, Downey was quiet in the eighth and Escalon got the game winner in the bottom of the eighth.
Miguel reached first base on a dropped third strike, stole second and went to third on the overthrow, then scored on a ground ball by Gino Franceschetti.
Valencia got the start, and threw 81 pitches through seven innings. Brandon Shaw came on in relief in the eighth, working with Josh Vandagriff behind the plate, and threw nine pitches to get the three outs. With the Cougars getting a run in the bottom of the frame, Shaw got credit for the win.
Valencia went seven strong, striking out five and allowing no walks, five hits.
Mulry was 2-for-3, Pangilinan 2-for-2 and the Cougars got single hits from Valencia and Franceschetti in the win.
The Cougars had a first game league bye on Tuesday - scheduled to go to East Union if the weather allowed it - and will be at Riverbank to start Trans-Valley League play on Tuesday, March 29.
