One-hit wonder: Los Banos softball stuns No. 3 Ceres

With one mighty swing, Los Banos High School complicated the Western Athletic Conference softball race for a second straight year.

Junior Ali Waltman hit a two-run home run in the third inning, sending Callie Nunes’ pitch soaring over the wall in center field. It was Los Banos’ only hit against the Ceres ace, but it was a tape-measure shot that scattered soccer players on an adjacent field.

Sophomore Kiara Azevedo quieted the Bulldogs’ big bats over the final six innings to shore up a 2-1 victory Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve preached all year long that we believe we have the group of girls that can compete with the teams in our league and our section,” Los Banos coach Dustin Caropreso said. “It’s just about believing. We got down 1-0 early in the first and our girls didn’t panic.

“Yeah, we only got one hit. But when it comes down to it, it was the biggest hit of the day. That two-run home run was the difference in the game.”

Los Banos (19-2, 9-1 WAC) moved into a tie for first with Ceres (16-4, 9-1), The Modesto Bee’s third-ranked large-school team.

Each team has two games remaining. Ceres travels across town to Central Valley on Thursday and closes the regular season with Pacheco at home Tuesday.

Los Banos, which denied Ceres an outright title last spring with a 6-4 road victory, has home games against West Side neighbors Pacheco and Patterson.

If both teams remain tied at the end of the regular season, a one-game playoff will decide the WAC’s No. 1 playoff seed.

Last season, Ceres and Pacheco shared the conference title but a tiebreaker wasn’t played. The Bulldogs were awarded the No. 1 seed.

Judging by the long faces near the Ceres dugout, the senior-laden Bulldogs had no designs on sharing this year’s title.

“It’s a tough loss,” said Ceres coach Angela Durossette, who watched the meat of the lineup go down in order in the seventh. “It’s tough to swallow when you give up one hit and lose.

“We haven’t been down in 14 games, and they don’t know what it’s like to lose. We got anxious. Our best hitters came up, swung for the fences and popped up.”

Ceres had won 14 consecutive games – a streak that spanned nearly two months – by beating its opposition into submission. The Bulldogs scored 10 or more runs in seven of their previous eight games but managed a single run against Azevedo.

Leadoff hitter Nicoles Bates reached on an error and advanced to second on a bunt single by Sabrina Baisdon. Two batters later, Rayohna Sagapolu (2 for 3) drove a two-out double into the gap in right-center field to score Bates.

Still recovering from strep throat, Azevedo pitched to contact and let her defense work. The top five hitters in Ceres’ lineup were a combined 3 for 15 with hard-hit outs all over the field.

“Our pitcher was outstanding,” Caropreso said of Azevedo, now 11-1 with a 1.87 ERA. “She had strep throat last Friday and stayed home. She pitched against Livingston and wasn’t really good. She came out today and just dealt. I’m talking about big outs. When you can get their top five hitters to pop out is huge.”

Ceres always seemed on the cusp of busting out, though. Stanislaus District home run leader Mahlena O’Neal came within feet of a two-out grand slam in the second inning. Haley Ballez raced back to the fence to collect her fly ball.

Los Banos center fielder Mel Silva made a shoestring catch on Baisdon’s line drive in the fourth, and Waltman plucked Shelby Veuve’s rocket out of the air.

“We’ve been playing great defense and getting solid pitching all year, and getting timely hitting when we need it,” Caropreso said. “This is a resilient bunch. They don’t panic. My heart rate is going crazy right now, but it doesn’t bother these girls.”

Los Banos got all the offense it would need in the third. Silva drew a one-out walk. Ballez moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, setting the table for Waltman. Nunes left her pitch over the inside half of the plate and Waltman drove it over the distance marker in center field.

“I knew she was hittable and just wanted to do my best,” said Waltman, who nearly had her helmet dislodged in the celebration at home plate. “I was looking for an inside pitch, and that’s what she threw me.”

Durossette comforted Nunes after the game. The junior fireballer struck out nine, including three of the last four batters. She made just one mistake to Los Banos’ best hitter.

“She threw a good game,” Durossette said. “Sometimes, you can’t take back that pitch. I know she wishes she could. She missed her location, and to the No. 3 batter you can’t miss your location.”

This story was originally published May 3, 2016 at 10:42 PM with the headline "One-hit wonder: Los Banos softball stuns No. 3 Ceres."