Wrapping up the season with a win, it was also the last game on the diamond for head coach Dianne Teixeira for the varsity girls softball team.
The longtime coach has turned in her resignation, closing out 16 years with Escalon High, including the last seven with the varsity as head coach. Assistant Missy Vieira, now expecting her second child, is also stepping down, opening the door for a new staff at the varsity level next year.
"Missy and I took it in 2006," said Teixeira. "I have been head coach for four Trans-Valley League titles, two Section titles, it has been a lot of excitement and this was the hardest decision I've ever made."
Heading into the final week, the varsity girls needed to put both games in the win column to have a shot at playoffs but they ended with a split, falling to Riverbank in a make up of a previously postponed game and then winning on the road at Modesto Christian.
Knowing they were out of the playoff picture following the May 7 loss at Riverbank, the girls regrouped and played a solid game on Wednesday, ending the season on a high note.
"We lost 10-4 to Riverbank and we just had errors again, one of those days," admitted Teixeira. "They were a totally beatable team."
But five errors were the Lady Cougars' undoing, as Riverbank touched them up for two runs in the first, one in the third, four in the fourth and three more to put it away in the fifth. Escalon had one run in four different innings, the second, third, fourth and fifth. The Lady Cougars had nine hits while Riverbank had 11 and the host Lady Bruins committed just one error.
Kristin Beckman was 2-for-3 for Escalon with an RBI, Anastasia Rodriguez knocked in a run, Lexi Prim had a solo homer and Ashley Schuurman also knocked in a run. Schurrman went four innings in the game, with Marissa Dominguez coming on in relief to pitch the final two.
"We won 6-2 at Modesto Christian, we got two in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth," said Teixeira. "Marissa was the winning pitcher, went the complete game and struck out two."
Escalon had four hits, MC 2 and the teams were not flawless, with MC committing four errors and Escalon three.
"Marissa did a great job battling back, when she got down in the count, she made good pitches," explained Teixeira.
Rodriguez had two doubles and an RBI, Beckman drove in a run, Illiana Cajias notched a sacrifice fly RBI and Schuurman also had a hit, with the Lady Cougars getting a couple of runs on MC miscues, one on a passed ball and another on an error.
The varsity girls were 11-12 overall this year, 5-7 in league play and missed out on playoffs by just one game.
"Ripon lost to Orestimba so if we had gotten Riverbank on Monday, we would have gotten the third seed," Teixeira said.
Disappointing as that was, the coach said she was proud of the team for coming through against the Crusaders.
"You're only as good as your last game, and they played that game very well," she said.
Teixeira started with Escalon in 1997, serving as assistant coach at the JV level. She moved to varsity in 2000 to assist then-head coach Greg Largent until he moved over to baseball, then assisted Sheila Barth for the next few years. She took over the head coaching job in 2006, with Vieira joining her as an assistant.
Teixeira and her teams compiled a 128-59-1 mark during her time as head coach, and though there were ups and downs along the way, she has enjoyed being a part of Cougar athletics.
"Working outside the school, though, sometimes it is tough," she admitted of fitting softball in around her work commitments and vice versa. "Overall it has been a great experience."
The longtime coach has turned in her resignation, closing out 16 years with Escalon High, including the last seven with the varsity as head coach. Assistant Missy Vieira, now expecting her second child, is also stepping down, opening the door for a new staff at the varsity level next year.
"Missy and I took it in 2006," said Teixeira. "I have been head coach for four Trans-Valley League titles, two Section titles, it has been a lot of excitement and this was the hardest decision I've ever made."
Heading into the final week, the varsity girls needed to put both games in the win column to have a shot at playoffs but they ended with a split, falling to Riverbank in a make up of a previously postponed game and then winning on the road at Modesto Christian.
Knowing they were out of the playoff picture following the May 7 loss at Riverbank, the girls regrouped and played a solid game on Wednesday, ending the season on a high note.
"We lost 10-4 to Riverbank and we just had errors again, one of those days," admitted Teixeira. "They were a totally beatable team."
But five errors were the Lady Cougars' undoing, as Riverbank touched them up for two runs in the first, one in the third, four in the fourth and three more to put it away in the fifth. Escalon had one run in four different innings, the second, third, fourth and fifth. The Lady Cougars had nine hits while Riverbank had 11 and the host Lady Bruins committed just one error.
Kristin Beckman was 2-for-3 for Escalon with an RBI, Anastasia Rodriguez knocked in a run, Lexi Prim had a solo homer and Ashley Schuurman also knocked in a run. Schurrman went four innings in the game, with Marissa Dominguez coming on in relief to pitch the final two.
"We won 6-2 at Modesto Christian, we got two in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth," said Teixeira. "Marissa was the winning pitcher, went the complete game and struck out two."
Escalon had four hits, MC 2 and the teams were not flawless, with MC committing four errors and Escalon three.
"Marissa did a great job battling back, when she got down in the count, she made good pitches," explained Teixeira.
Rodriguez had two doubles and an RBI, Beckman drove in a run, Illiana Cajias notched a sacrifice fly RBI and Schuurman also had a hit, with the Lady Cougars getting a couple of runs on MC miscues, one on a passed ball and another on an error.
The varsity girls were 11-12 overall this year, 5-7 in league play and missed out on playoffs by just one game.
"Ripon lost to Orestimba so if we had gotten Riverbank on Monday, we would have gotten the third seed," Teixeira said.
Disappointing as that was, the coach said she was proud of the team for coming through against the Crusaders.
"You're only as good as your last game, and they played that game very well," she said.
Teixeira started with Escalon in 1997, serving as assistant coach at the JV level. She moved to varsity in 2000 to assist then-head coach Greg Largent until he moved over to baseball, then assisted Sheila Barth for the next few years. She took over the head coaching job in 2006, with Vieira joining her as an assistant.
Teixeira and her teams compiled a 128-59-1 mark during her time as head coach, and though there were ups and downs along the way, she has enjoyed being a part of Cougar athletics.
"Working outside the school, though, sometimes it is tough," she admitted of fitting softball in around her work commitments and vice versa. "Overall it has been a great experience."
