A huge week saw the Escalon varsity Lady Cougars take down two previously undefeated softball opponents.
They closed out the preseason campaign with a win at home against Oakdale on March 16, then put away visiting Manteca on Friday, March 18.
Wednesday, the girls had to come from behind and got a 7-6 victory over Oakdale in eight innings.
Brooke Davis was on the mound and got the win.
“She pitched a great game only allowing one earned run as our defense struggled a bit with six errors, by far the most in a game this season,” explained Escalon head coach Jeff Borden.
Escalon got a single run in the fourth inning on a walk to Macie Vickers, a single by Tulsa Carnes and a ground ball fielders choice from Faye Hernandez.
“We were down 3-1 going into the bottom of the sixth,” the coach said. “Brooke led off with a double, Bailey Dugo running for her scored on a Tulsa Carnes RBI single.”
Singles by Hernandez and Shelby Wilder tied the score at 3-3 but Oakdale’s Lady Mustangs scored three in the top of the seventh to regain the lead, 6-3.
“We answered with three in the bottom of the seventh; the inning started with back-to-back singles by the Vickers sisters (Emily and Macie) and a walk to Brooke Davis,” Borden said. “Emily Vickers scored on a Tulsa Carnes sacrifice fly, Shelby Wilder had a game changing single for two RBIs to tie the score 6-6.”
Oakdale went quietly in the top of the eighth; Escalon got the win in the bottom of the frame.
Briana Vazquez led things off with a single and Lucy Allbaugh followed with a single, those two advancing to second and third on a Macie Vickers out to right field.
“Briana made a great read on an Oakdale wild pitch and scored, sealing the walk off win,” Borden said, as the team got a little revenge for a lopsided loss in tournament play earlier this season.
“Equally exciting was our 12-7 win over previously unbeaten Manteca,” Borden said of the Friday contest.
Again, though, the varsity girls found themselves trailing early, down 5-0 going into the fourth. Manteca had a grand slam over the right field fence to plate four of those five runs.
However, Escalon got the bats going at the right time and crafted their second come-from-behind win of the week.
“Our hitters found their stride, led by a three-run home run by Faye Hernandez, Lucy Allbaugh had four hits,” noted Borden. “Emily Vickers had two doubles and a triple with four runs batted in, Macie Vickers had a double and two singles with two RBIs.”
A pair of runs batted in and three hits came off the bat of Carnes, including a double while Wilder, Vazquez and Grace Spurgeon each had a hit.
“We had 19 hits and for the first time this year everyone in the line-up had a hit,” Borden said.
This week, the girls will begin Trans-Valley League play; they were to travel to Livingston on Tuesday, March 22 after The Times went to press and host Hughson on Thursday, March 24. They also plan to make up a game postponed earlier this season with Merced, traveling on Friday for that contest.
