Athletes at Escalon High School are staying busy with their spring sports schedules, contests taking place in multiple venues for the Cougars.
Following is a review of recent action on the diamonds, track, course and courts.
BASEBALL
It was a pair of Cougar varsity victories on the baseball diamond this past week, the boys topping Ripon Christian at home and on the road.
Wednesday, they hosted the Knights and head coach Gino Franceschetti said they “walked it off in the bottom of the seventh” as they earned an 8-7 victory.
“We started our new transfer Brody Abbot; he gave us a great outing,” Franceschetti said. “Pitched five innings, gave up one earned run and struck out six.”
The offense for Escalon rapped out 12 hits.
“We won with a safety squeeze by Treye Ingram in the bottom of the seventh,” Franceschetti said.
In game two of the series, on the road Friday at Ripon Christian, the Cougars were 4-1 winners. Josh Fiori got the start but was pulled due to an arm issue.
“Ian Burk came in and had his best pitching performance,” the coach explained. “He went five innings and gave up a run that was unearned.”
For Escalon, they put together enough offense to get the road win.
“We didn’t have too many guys that lit up the stat book but we played good team baseball,” Franceschetti said.
The JV Cougars, meanwhile, crafted a 10-0 win at home on March 26 and also defeated Ripon Christian on the road Friday, winning the March 28 game by a 3-2 final.
On Wednesday, Ethan Haskin was key to the victory.
“Complete game, no hitter,” head JV coach Carlos Herrera said. “Ethan pitched outstanding; he battled and our defense made plays behind him. Very proud of his effort.”
On Friday, Escalon scored a run in the fourth to tie it after RC got one in the bottom of the third. Then the visitors put two runs on the board in the top of the seventh for a 3-1 lead, but RC got one back in their final at bat; Escalon still held on for the win.
“We battled all day and played solid defense,” Herrera said. “Aiden Ramirez pitched in and out of trouble all game. Jack Arata came up huge with a clutch off the bench double to put us up and give us an insurance run.”
SOFTBALL
Escalon’s softball girls split their contests this past week.
The varsity fell by a 10-6 final to Orestimba on Tuesday and came back to win by that same score, 10-6, over visiting Sonora on Thursday, March 27.
“At Orestimba, Madison Babasa opened up the game with a home run,” said head coach Caitlin Schulte. “She went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two solen bases.”
Also figuring in to the offense was Arianna Velasco, going 3-for-4 with a triple, RBI and a stolen base.
“We had a rough inning in the third where they scored six runs on us and we couldn’t recover offensively,” admitted Shulte.
On the home field Thursday, it was Babasa again getting the Lady Cougars started, this time with an inside the park home run against Sonora, rapping out a triple that she extended into the homer.
“She had two on the day and really took advantage of our deep centerfield fence,” Schulte said.
Jessy Kesler had an RBI double, while Kaylyn McCutcheon went 1-for-3 with three RBI.
“Kaylyn got the win for us, allowing seven hits and one earned run,” said Schulte. “Madison Babasa came in as relief to finish the game for us.”
The JV girls mirrored their older counterparts, losing to Orestimba but defeating Sonora.
They lost 17-5 at Orestimba, though they battled back to put three runs on the board in their final at bat and got a home run from Brooklyn Dugo.
Hosting Sonora, the JV girls were 12-11 winners. They trailed 6-2 after the first inning but battled back, scoring four runs in each of the third and fourth innings to ultimately come away with the victory. Dugo had three RBI on the day.
VOLLEYBALL
In a busy week for the varsity volleyball boys, they won one match and lost two.
They fell to Big Valley Christian on March 24 in league play, swept 3-0; Big Valley winning 25-21, 25-15, 25-15.
“They have a solid team this year and all week we were missing our middle, Preston Berhorst,” head coach Shay Beam said of the loss to Big Valley. “Our leader in kills for the night was Carson Medina with five and setter Ben Ferreira had three kills, one block, 11 digs and nine assists.”
With Berhorst being out, Beam said Ferreira played middle blocker as well as set from the front row.
“He had to set up to a different position but did a great job all week,” the coach said.
In non-league action on March 27, Escalon swept Oakdale, 25-13, 25-22, 28-26.
They hosted the Mustangs and Beam said it was a fun match to coach and watch.
Medina had 11 kills, Mikie Lourenco had three blocks. Ferreira added six aces and Aydun Melo notched eight digs.
“All in all, everyone did good things and we won in three sets,” Beam said.
Returning to the court for another non-league game on Friday, it was a 3-0 loss for Escalon against Sierra, the Timberwolves prevailing in scores of 25-18, 25-11, 25-14.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match,” Beam said of the straight sets loss for her squad. “Their varsity team is very talented but I fully believe playing good teams makes you better.”
She said the varsity Cougars hung in there for set one, getting a few aces and kills but ultimately taking the loss.
“In set three we were winning at one point but got stuck in a serve receive rotation that we couldn’t get out of,” the coach explained. “I’m proud of the team, not giving up and just playing hard.”
Escalon’s JV boys lost to Big Valley in league play, but won both their non-league contests.
Head coach Alyssa Cogburn said they fell to Big Valley by scores of 22-25, 21-25 so they battled their opponent but fell just a little short.
They went on to defeat Oakdale 25-15, 25-14 and then closed out the week with a 25-22, 25-20 win over Sierra.
“Jake Ferreira led the team in aces for the week with nine. Noah Martin and Ezra Rameno each had 11 kills,” Cogburn said.
Also, Ryder Killingsworth had 14 digs and Sam Delgado put up four blocks.
“So proud of their play this week, especially against Sierra,” Cogburn said. “It was the best I’ve seen them play.”
GOLF
Thursday, March 27, the golf boys took part in TVL play, the fourth tournament event at Pine Mountain Lake and put together a fourth place showing, their best of the season so far.
Shooting the low round was Dominic Arauza, carding an 82, followed by Brenden Berchtold with an 85. Ehtan Tellez shot a 95; Matix Trimble, 111; Donovan Martinez, 112.
“Ethan and Dom shot their best round of the year; Brenden has shot every round in the 80s so far, he’s been very consistent to this point,” head coach Brandon Hoover said of the team leaders on the day.
Ripon took first with a team score of 391, followed by Ripon Christian, Hughson and then Escalon in fourth at 485.
TRACK AND FIELD
Heading to Sonora for a Trans-Valley League dual meet on Thursday, the varsity girls got a 78-52 win while the boys fell to the host Wildcats, 98-38.
Returning to action just 24 hours later, several Cougars were on hand to compete in Oakdale.
“Eighteen Escalon athletes who qualified three weeks earlier competed at Oakdale High School for the County Clash against some of the best athletes from Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties,” said head coach Arend Jones. “Some Lady Cougars made great finishes.”
Junior Annabelle Armstrong got a PR in the pole vault and finished fifth overall, said the coach. Sophomore Emilia Jimenez placed seventh in triple jump while senior Megan Silva placed fourth in the 100 and fifth in the 200-meter sprints. Sophomore Rachelle Barker took third in the high jump.
For the boys, top finishers were senior Trenton Epps, placing eighth in the 300-meter hurdles, and junior Co Northcutt, 10th overall in the 400-meter sprint.
TENNIS
Two matches, two wins for the tennis team.
They shut down Orestimba by a 7-2 final and defeated Sonora, 6-3.
Hosting Orestimba on March 25, Nathan Rose got a forfeit win at number one boys singles and Landon Underwood was a 6-4, 7-5 winner at number two singles. Kaili Castellanos had a forfeit win at number one girls singles.
Also winning were the boys doubles, Daniel Adams and Luca Cerasi at number one with a 6-2, 6-3 win; Maddox Neilson and Cooper Fugett at number two, winning 6-2, 6-1.
Girls doubles, number one Marina Franzia and Emma Rangel won 6-3, 6-1 and number two Ashlyn Paxman and Haven MacKinnon won 6-4, 6-1.
On Friday at Sonora, wins came from Rose and Underwood in boys singles; Adams and Cerasi, Fugett and Neilson in boys doubles; Rangel and Franzia in girls number one doubles; and Brien Novetzke teaming with Laura Schussmann in mixed doubles for the win.
