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Tournament Play Keeps Varsity Softball Squad Busy
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Escalon senior Brooke Davis winds up as the Oakdale runner leads off second during tournament play on Saturday, March 5 in Ceres. The early afternoon game went to Oakdale, 9-0, and games later in the day were all canceled when an improvised explosive device was found in a bathroom at the park. Marg Jackson/The Times

Suiting up for a softball tournament in Ceres this past week, the Escalon varsity Lady Cougars got two wins and lost in a shutout to Oakdale before seeing their final game canceled due to an IED, improvised explosive device, being found in a bathroom at the park in Ceres where they were playing.

That final game (against Merced) will be rescheduled, said head coach Jeff Borden, hopefully for later this month. There were no injuries during the incident; the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad successfully dealt with the situation but the park was shut down and games canceled as a precautionary measure.

In the games they did play, the girls defeated Central Valley of Ceres 2-0 and also topped Beyer in a shutout, 11-0, with both contests on Thursday, March 3.

“Against Central Valley, Brooke Davis threw a 19-strikeout, seven-inning perfect game,” said Borden. “Macie Vickers and Brooke Davis each had an RBI. Briana Vazquez had a double and Lucy Allbaugh and Shelby Wilder each had a hit.”

Coming back against Beyer, Davis notched 13 strikeouts and allowed one hit in five innings of work as the varsity girls rolled to the 9-0 decision.

Allbaugh rapped out three hits while Davis and Bailey Dugo each had two hits; Wilder and Grace Spurgeon had one hit each. Allbaugh drove in three runs on the day, Dugo two.

“Saturday, we lost 9-0 to Oakdale,” said Borden. “We tip our hats to a very strong Oakdale team and an awesome game in the circle and at the plate by Delainey Everett.”

Escalon, with an earlier 1-0 win over Central Catholic, entered this week with a 3-1 mark in preseason action.

They are scheduled to take part this week in a tournament at Rainbow Fields with games against Enochs, St. Mary’s, Lodi and East Union.

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Sophomore Shelby Wilder looks back at the pitch, which was high and called a ball, in a Saturday afternoon tournament game against Oakdale’s Lady Mustangs. The Lady Cougars were shut out in the contest, 9-0, suffering their first loss of the season. Marg Jackson/The Times