By PETE SIMONCINI
Sports Correspondent
The first week of May brought a heap of the unusual for the Oakdale Mustangs varsity softball team. Hot off the heels of a big win over Manteca, which included sophomore Jaelyn Lee’s first varsity home run, the Mustangs endured a rare May rainout on Tuesday, May 2 (that game, against the East Union Lancers, was rescheduled for Monday, May 8), and then got a huge surprise from the Kimball Jaguars on Thursday, May 4. The Mustangs had taken the measure of the Jaguars in Tracy earlier in the season by the score of 11-4 and came into Thursday’s game expecting more of the same. That was not to be as the Mustangs needed an extra inning to edge the Jaguars 5-4.
“I felt that Kimball outplayed us most of the game,” said head coach Larry Loger.
Indeed, the Mustangs hit the ball sharply off of the Kimball starting pitcher Alexa Contreras throughout the game, but the Jaguars, particularly shortstop Sophia Coronado and centerfielder Kaeliana DePerio made amazing fielding plays to thwart many Mustangs on hard-hit balls.
At the outset, it looked like a repeat of the game in Tracy as the Mustangs came out swinging in the bottom of the first, recording three runs. Jayci Volonte led off the inning with a triple to right center field. Briley Everett scratched out an infield single that did not score Volonte. After a walk to Delainey Everett loaded the bases, Morgan Merzon hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Volonte at home plate. Morgan Wright then singled in Briley Everett and Lee, who was running for Delainey Everett, with Merzon ending up at second. Raegan Everett followed with a single that scored Merzon as the Mustangs took a commanding three-run lead.
In their half of the third stanza, Kimball scratched across two runs on a hit batter, two singles, and some sloppy fielding. Following a scoreless fourth inning, both teams scored one run apiece in the fifth, making the score 4-3 Oakdale. With two outs in the Mustang half inning, Merzon doubled to right center field and then scored on Wright’s second single of the game, giving the junior third baseman 3 RBI on the day. Loger pulled Delainey Everett from the pitcher’s circle replacing her with her sister Raegan in the top of the sixth. The Jaguars greeted the younger Everett with a single, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single to right—classic small ball—to tie the score. The Mustangs went quietly in their half of the sixth and both teams failed to score in the seventh sending the game into extra innings. Everett retired the Jaguars in the top of the eighth on a popup, a single and a nifty 4-6-3 double play (Volonte to Madi Bohannon to Delainey Everett, who had swapped positions with Raegan). The Jaguars were able to retire the first two Mustang batters in the eighth. Bohannon, however, singled up the middle and then stole second. Center fielder Bailey Peterson followed with a two-strike blooper that dropped between the shortstop and the left fielder. Bohannon, off at the crack of the bat, used her excellent speed to score as the Mustang fans erupted in cheers.
“Madi Bohannon’s stolen base in the eighth was a big part of the win,” said Loger. “Bailey Peterson’s hit was our first walk-off of the year. Raegen (Everett) was great in relief, to get the win.”
On the south OHS softball diamond on Thursday, the Mustang junior varsity of head coach Don Gonzalez continued its winning ways defeating Kimball 8-0 to remain undefeated on the season. The Mustang teams end their regular season this week with games against East Union, Sierra, and Central Catholic on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday respectively. The Central Catholic game on Wednesday will also be Senior Day as Delainey Everett and Katy Thomasson play their final regular season games as Mustangs. The Senior Day festivities will begin at about 3:40 p.m.
BASEBALL
Winning at home and falling on the road, the Oakdale varsity Mustangs closed out the baseball regular season with the Sierra Timberwolves. Oakdale took a 3-1 win on Wednesday, May 3 on the home field, scoring all their runs in the fifth inning. Friday, May 5 they went to Sierra and lost by an 8-1 final, and were not able to get a hit on the day.
They ended the campaign with an overall record of 13-11 and finished second in the Valley Oak League with a 10-5 mark. The squad was to begin the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 playoffs on the road, traveling to face the Del Campo Cougars on Tuesday, May 9 in a 4 p.m. contest.
The Cougars come in as the No. 8 seed, the Mustangs as No. 9.
Leader Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this report.
