By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Non-League Loss, Tournament Play For Varsity Softball Girls
JV Pitcher.jpg
Junior varsity Lady Cougar Tulsa Carnes winds up to send in the pitch during recent action on the home field. The JV and varsity softball girls open the Trans-Valley League season on the road Friday, March 15 at Ripon. Marg Jackson/The Times

Escalon’s varsity softball girls started their week off with a tough loss to Manteca, falling 7-6.

“We let it slip away, we were up 5-0 in the fourth,” said head coach Art Brooks of the March 4 contest. “They scored two in the fifth and four in the sixth; we tied it up in the top of the seventh only to lose it in the bottom half.”

Manteca got the winning run in their half of the seventh to send Escalon home on a losing note.

Bella Strach went five-and-a-third innings, allowing eight hits, seven walks and five strikeouts. Brooke Davis pitched an inning and two-thirds of relief.

Sage Davis was 3-for-3 with a walk, Lexy Underwood was 1-for-4 and Strach was 2-for-4 with a double.

Thursday, the girls headed to Rainbow Fields for tournament play and played to a tie with Enochs, reaching the one hour, 40 minute time limit with the score knotted at 5-5.

Brooke Davis got the start on the mound and scattered nine hits while striking out five.

“Brooke Campbell, Leticia Gutierrez, Hailie Webster and Malia Babasa all had two hits,” said Brooks. “Ariel Astabie had an RBI single.”

Game two on Thursday saw the Lady Cougars take the win, 13-8 over Gregori to finish the week with a win, a loss and a tie.

“We jumped on them with nine runs in the first inning,” Brooks said. “We never had to really look back.”

Gregori did mount a bit of a threat in the fifth inning, scoring five runs, but never got close enough to challenge for the lead.

Underwood was 3-for-3 with a triple and four runs batted in; two hits each came from Babasa, Webster, Brooke Davis, Marissa Gonzalez and Brooke Campbell. Notching one hit apiece were Kiara Ancheta and Sage Davis.

“Brooke Davis got her first high school win,” Brooks said of the freshman pitcher.

Saturday, the team headed to Rainbow Fields for day two action and had gotten in just a couple of innings against East Union before being rained out; their second game on Saturday was also called off due to the inclement weather.

 

JUNIOR VARSITY

It was a tough week for the young Lady Cougars, battling in the Rainbow Fields Tournament. They lost their opener on Thursday, falling to Gregori by an 11-6 final. Soleil Gouzenne had two doubles and Hollie Harding was 2-for-2.

“The girls played a good game, we just lost on the defensive side,” said coach Kristin Beckman.

Game two on Thursday saw the girls tie with Enochs, 5-5.

“It was a close game that if we would have had more time I think we could have pulled out the win,” noted Beckman.

Saturday, they faced off first with Turlock and lost 5-3. Gouzenne was 2-for-2, Tulsa Carnes had a double, Adriana Marrufo had a single.

The second game, before the rains moved in, was against East Union and was a close 6-4 loss.

“We face them again this Wednesday and hope to come out with a win this time,” said Beckman.

 

The softball girls were scheduled to host Merced on Monday, March 11 and will be at East Union on Wednesday. Trans-Valley League action gets underway for the girls on the road Friday, March 15 at Ripon.