Offense comes alive at right time for Oakdale softball in key VOL win over Manteca
Jaelyn Lee and Madi Bohannon didn’t want their final home game to be a loss.
There were a lot of storylines heading into Tuesday’s Valley Oak League game between host Oakdale and visiting Manteca: It was a matchup between the No. 2 and No. 4 teams in the league, the Mustangs were looking for momentum heading into the postseason with the regular season winding down and it was senior day.
And the two players were aware of it all.
Lee, Bohannon and fellow seniors Jayci Volonte, Grace Constant and Alma Betencourt were honored before the first pitch then, at 4 p.m., it was game time.
“Coming into the game, I think it was pretty emotional starting off,” Bohannon said. “It’s our last home game as seniors and just high stakes, high energy and just coming in wanting to win.”
In a back-and-forth contest, Lee and Bohannon did their part in helping the Mustangs secure a 10-8 win. Lee, a University of the Pacific commit and the team’s starting pitcher, went the full seven innings, relying on her defense to back her up. That defense, led by Bohannon, who will play at Cal Poly, was solid most of the game.
Offensively, Lee collected two hits and drove in a run, while Bohannon had two hits with a triple and scored twice.
Lee and Bohannon led the way Tuesday, but they weren’t the only Mustangs to make an impact.
Players up and down the Oakdale lineup came through with big hits in what longtime coach Larry Loger called the best offensive game the team has played this year.
Freshmen Saige Everett and Katee Conde and junior Audrey Romiti joined the two seniors with two hits apiece. Everett, Conde and Romiti each doubled. Conde drove in three runs and Everett had two RBI. Constant also finished with two RBI. She and Briley Everett, Volonte and Reese Donaldson all added one hit apiece. Their 14 hits were the third-most this season.
“It’s the best we’ve hit in a while, that’s for sure,” Loger said.
The Mustangs needed every bit of the offensive production to upset the No. 2 team in the league and the No. 1 ranked team in the MaxPreps Sac-Joaquin Section Division III rankings.
After giving up a run in the top of the second, Oakdale answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Manteca tied the game with three runs in the top of the third, but the Mustangs responded by scoring five unanswered in the bottom of the third and fourth frames.
Manteca cut into the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth and one in the top of the sixth, but Oakdale added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
Lee shut the door in the top of the seventh, not allowing a hit and forcing two fly outs and catching a pop fly for the final out. The only Manteca baserunner in the seventh reached on an error.
“The most important thing was knowing the talent we have and what we can produce. And not making it bigger than a game,” Lee said. “Our emotions were high, but keeping it simple and just playing the game we love is how I think we were able to push through and win.”
While their jobs as senior leaders are similar, their journeys to senior night have been different.
A pitcher, Lee waited her turn to play her true position and is now the Mustangs’ ace. She played first base for the past two years while sisters Delainey and Raegen Everett served as the starters.
“I definitely had big shoes to fill coming in after Delainey and Raegen, they’re both very good pitchers, but I knew my skill level and I knew I was good enough to hold onto the Oakdale legacy and be able to produce for our team,” Lee said of how she prepared for this season.
Bohannon is a four-year varsity player who has embraced the leadership role of bringing along a young team after the graduation of eight seniors from last year’s section title team.
“Since it’s my senior year, I’m cherishing all the moments with my team and playing behind Jaelyn,” she said. “It’s been different playing behind different pitchers each year, but (I’m) just getting used to that, making the most of it and working hard for my team.”
Softball
Sonora 12, Escalon 7: Cougars leadoff hitter Madison Babasa had a home run, a single, walked twice, drove in two runs and scored three runs, but Escalon could not pick up a TVL road win Tuesday. Escalon scored six of its seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Gregori 19, Downey 0: Seven Jaguars finished with multiple RBI, led by Leyah Belle, NeVaeh Scheper and Angelina Hoffman, who each had three. Scheper and Kaliyah Mauia recorded two doubles apiece. Gregori maintains second place in the CCAL with a key game against Enochs coming May 1.
Ripon 5, Hughson 4: Abigail Stewart and Angelina Martinez recorded a double apiece and Clara Townsend finished with a team-high two RBI to help Ripon capture a TVL title and finish the regular season on a nine-game win streak. Martinez pitched the full seven innings and struck out 11 batters. Ripon finishes the regular season 16-7 overall and 9-1 in TVL play.
Big Valley Christian 23, Bret Harte 14: Cecily Fontana hit a double, a home run and had seven RBI, Kailey Rivera had a double, a triple and had five RBI and Morgan Merzon hit a triple and had four RBI to lead the Lions to their best offensive game this season and third straight win. Madyx Mitchell struck out six batters in seven innings. Big Valley is the third-place team in the MLL with three league games remaining.
Turlock 11, Pitman 0: Cadee Campbell had a home run, a double and four RBI to lead Turlock’s offense in the win against their crosstown rival. Abby Maxwell and Ayla Lacerda each drove in a pair of runs for Turlock. Freshman Audrey Bailey pitched a one-hit shutout with seven strikeouts in a five-inning complete game effort.
Enochs 17, Modesto 1: Freshman Camila Ramirez Quintana had the best game of her young career, going 5-for-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI and three runs scored. She was one of three Eagles with at least two RBI to help keep the team perfect in CCAL play. Sophomore pitcher Kaylee Ruiz allowed one hit and one earned run in five innings. She struck out nine batters.
Calaveras 15, Riverbank 2: Freshman Briseida Felix hit a home run and drove in Riverbank’s only two runs. Maya Guzman led the team with two hits, and Felix and Arizona Navarro added one hit apiece.
Central Catholic 11, Patterson 3: Central Catholic finished its regular season with back-to-back wins and went a perfect 12-0 in VOL play after Tuesday’s home regular season finale win. Samantha Nichols and Ceriah Fitzhugh each finished with a team-high three hits. Nichols hit a home run with two singles and had three RBI, and Fitzhugh had a double and a pair of singles. Carsyn Lomeli and Jazmarie Roberts also added a pair of hits, and five other Raiders had one hit apiece.
Baseball
Livingston 4, Ceres 1: The Bulldogs dropped just their fourth WAC game this season and fell to 9-4 in league play. Despite the loss, they remain in second place in the league standings. They play the series and regular season finale Thursday at home.
Escalon 4, Ripon 3: Brody Abbott doubled as part of a two-hit game, and Josh Fiori and Andrew Armosino drove in a run apiece to lead Escalon to a must-win victory Tuesday. While Hughson has locked up first place in the league, a win Thursday and a Hilmar loss push the Cougars into second place in league standings.
Bret Harte 13, Big Valley Christian 6: The Lions scored consistently throughout the game but gave up multiple runs in five innings, including allowing three runs in the fist and four more in the fourth as Bret Harte came away with the MLL win. Two Lions doubled and Noah Stel finished with a team-high two RBI.
Calaveras 13, Riverbank 2: Esteban Ruiz drove in both of Riverbank’s runs Tuesday and was one of just three Bruins to record a hit against the MLL’s fourth-ranked team. The Bruins play a final league game Thursday on the road against Linden, the MLL’s current undefeated league champion.
Central Valley 17, Davis 4: Central Valley’s offense came alive, scoring seven runs in the second and third innings each. Edgar Peralta had three hits and four RBI, two players drove in two runs and six Hawks finished with one RBI apiece to power the offense. On the mound, Chris Garcia pitched three innings, striking out eight batters. Peralta and Hunter Shaw also pitched one inning apiece.
Beyer 7, Johansen 4: Beyer picked up its ninth WAC win this season and 15th overall victory Tuesday in the opening game of a two-game set against Johansen. With the win, Beyer and Ceres are now tied for second place in the WAC standings with just one Thursday game remaining in the regular season.
