It’s just a few games in to the Trans-Valley League season but Escalon’s varsity baseball boys have run out to a 4-0 start. This past week, they got wins over Hilmar both at home and on the road. They were just one of the many spring teams in action, with softball, boys golf, tennis, track and field, and boys volleyball also seeing competition.
BASEBALL
The varsity squad hosted Hilmar on March 18 and shut out the visitors in a tight 2-0 contest.
“Zach Wells pitched a complete game shutout, giving up one hit, striking out five and walking three,” said head coach Gino Franceschetti. “Offensively, in the top of the fifth, Lorenzo Teixeira hit a leadoff double followed by a hit by Cole Elsholz.”
Next came a sacrifice fly from Aiden Ramirez and Elsholz later scored on a passed ball, giving the Cougars all the runs they would need.
“Game two (at Hilmar on March 20) we beat Hilmar 17-5 and had a very productive offensive day,” Franceschetti said.
Brody Abbott pitched and went six innings, giving up four runs. Offensively, he was 2-for-5 with four runs batted in.
Elsholz was 3-for-4 with an RBI; Ramirez went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Also, Drew Hagan was 2-for-2 with two runs driven in, Logan Hubener was 2-for-5 with a double and RBI; Wyatt Riesenbeck was 2-for-5 with two runs driven in and Dylan Ball was 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI; Teixeira was 1-for-3 and drove in a run.
The team was slated to travel to face Ripon Christian on March 25 and are home to host the Knights on Friday, March 27.
For the JV boys, with first year head coach Roman Gonzalez leading the team, they were winners on March 18 by a 6-4 final over Hilmar but took a 6-2 loss to the Yellowjackets on March 20.
In the victory on Wednesday, Ryan Looney and Cade Riesenbeck each had a pair of RBI; Landen Decroix had two hits, an RBI and scored two runs.
Escalon trailed 4-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth but rallied for four runs in that inning to take the lead. Hilmar didn’t score in the top of the seventh, with Escalon taking the win.
Friday the JV boys were at Hilmar and managed just four hits in the loss, with Looney driving in a run along with Riesenbeck. Looney, Decroix, Adam Cordeiro and Archer Sanders had the hits for the JV team.
SOFTBALL
First year varsity head coach Lexy Underwood said her varsity softball girls split their games this past week.
On Tuesday, March 17 they got a big 15-0 win at home over Ripon Christian.
“Ari Velasco went 4-for-4 at the plate,” Underwood said. “Velasco tripled in the first inning and added three singles in the second, third and fourth.”
The Lady Cougars broke the game open with an eight-run third inning, said the coach.
“Emma Isernhagen and Jessy-Lynn Kessler each drove in a run with singles, Madison Babasa hit a bases-clearing tiple, Velasco added an RBI single and an error brought in another run,” the coach explained.
Four runs in the first and one in the second got the Escalon varsity girls off to a good start, with Jayci Trimble also getting involved in the offense early, contributing a double.
Lauryn Siegel got the win, pitching five hitless innings with six strikeouts and one walk.
“The Cougars totaled 17 hits with Addy Lopez and Lizzy Allan each recording multiple hits,” Underwood said. “Escalon also played error-free defense, with Lopez leading the way with six defensive plays.”
Thursday, March 19 at Ripon, it was a hard fought 4-3 loss for Escalon as the host Lady Indians walked it off.
The game was tied in the bottom of the seventh when Ripon got a game-winning, run-scoring single.
Velasco had a solo home run in the game, along with a sacrifice fly that tied the contest in the top of the seventh.
Kyla Holback took the loss for Escalon; starting pitcher Tenley Adams went four strong innings with seven strikeouts.
Escalon’s JV girls, meanwhile, are coached this season by first year head coach Letty Rodriguez and started their league season on March 11 at Hughson, falling by a 13-5 final.
Hana Oliver got the start and was relieved by Kaylynn McCutcheon, who struck out seven.
Offensively, Brooke Covello was 4-for-4 at the plate; Avery Bartelink, Oliver and McCutcheon all went 2-for-4. Bartelink, Victoria Marrufo, McCutcheon and Covello scored the runs with Marrufo and Covello each driving in a run.
The Lady Cougar squads were to host Orestimba on March 24 and travel to play at Sonora on March 26.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Escalon Cougars have been busy with their track and field schedule, with the Trans-Valley League Relays hosted in Sonora on Wednesday, March 18 and some members of the team heading to the Dublin Distance Fiesta on Friday, March 20.
“Escalon had a strong showing during the first TVL match, the TVL Relays. In the field events, the Cougars placed very well, especially in high jump, pole vault, and both shot put and discus,” said head coach Arend Jones.
In girls pole vault, Escalon took second, third, and fourth place, while in both girls and boys high jump, Escalon was the only team that competed with four athletes. In girls shot put, Escalon took first, second and third, as senior Gloria Segura claimed the top spot, throwing four feet farther than any other competitor from another team, said Jones.
In girls discus, Escalon took first, fourth and fifth; senior Marissa Terry getting closer to 100 feet with a first place throw and a new PR (Personal Record) of 94 feet.
“In boys discus, junior Jaecy Aldasoro dominated the field getting a huge Personal Record and placing first with a throw of 139 feet,” Jones noted.
Overall, the Varsity boys and Open boys from Escalon placed fourth as teams, the Varsity girls placed third, and the Open girls placed second.
“On Friday, the Cougars sent the distance runners to Dublin for the largest distance track meet in the nation with over 250 teams competing over two days and thousands and thousands of runners,” Jones said of the high profile competition.
He went on to add that most of Escalon’s participants set new Personal Records, and some placed in the top three of their event heat, earning a free Dublin Distance Fiesta T-shirt. Freshmen Alden Schultz, Easton Beneux, Brandon Gonzalez and Amy Alvarado won a DDF T-shirt, as did sophomores Rigoberto Ramirez and Kenneth Vargas.
The next two competitions for the Cougars will be at home, hosting dual meets against Sonora on March 25 and Hilmar on April 1.
TENNIS
Taking on Millennium in non-league action on March 16, it was a clean sweep, a 9-0 win, for Escalon on the tennis court. All matches were straight sets wins for Escalon except in the number two boys doubles, with that team winning by forfeit.
In Trans-Valley League play on March 18, the Cougars fell to host Hughson by a 6-3 final. Wins for Escalon came in boys number one singles, Nathan Rose taking a 6-2, 7-5 victory; the boys number one doubles team of Luca Cerasi and Brien Novetzke won 6-3, 6-0; and the girls number one doubles pairing of Emma Rangl and Marina Franzia won 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
Back on the road Friday, March 20, the team battled to an important TVL win, edging out Ripon, 5-4.
Notching the wins against the Indians were Rose at number one boys singles, 6-0, 6-0 and Novetzke at number two boys singles, 6-1, 6-0.
Cerasi and Ben Ferreira were 6-2, 6-2 winners in boys number one doubles; Chloe Green and Alaina Mancilla battled to a 4-6, 6-4, 7-3 victory in girls number two doubles and the mixed doubles team of Christian Ramirez and Selah Jansen came away with a 6-2, 6-4 win for the Cougars.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Both the JV and varsity volleyball Cougar boys got in the win column this past week, as they took on Riverbank. It was a clean sweep, said head coach Alyssa Cogburn, with the JV defeating the Bruins in two sets, the varsity getting the win 3-0.
“We lost to Hilmar,” Cogburn added, with the JV falling in two to the Yellowjackets and the varsity going the full five sets. “Very close match and they fought hard.”
BOYS GOLF
Traveling to the Teleli course in Sonora, Escalon’s golf boys took part in the third league tournament this past week.
“Brenden (Berchtold) continues to play consistently,” head coach Brandon Hoover said of the senior’s 12th place overall finish at the event. “Leo (Serrano) and Luke (Gutierrez) both had their best scores of the season.”
Berchtold carded an 83 on the day, followed by Gutierrez at 99 and Serrano with a 101.
Daniel Nixon shot a 109, Joey Calcagno a 111 and Donovan Martienz carded a 132.
Ripon Christian took first as a team with a score of 373, followed by Ripon in second, Hughson, Hilmar, Sonora, Escalon and Orestimba.
The JV boys had a chance to get in a match against Sonora on March 18 at Teleli, playing nine holes.
Sonora got the win, 264-288, though Escalon had a solid outing from Jacob Betancourt, his best of the season, carding a 48 for the nine holes. George Harding shot a 55, with Ethan Tellez and Drake Gillihan each shooting a 61. Dominic Wheat had a 63 on the day and Brody Holck shot a 64.
Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this report.
