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Lady Mustangs Rally To Home Field Victory
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Celebrating in the pitchers circle, members of the varsity softball team greeted freshman pitcher Lexi Webb as the host Lady Mustangs defeated Manteca. DENNIS D. CRUZ/THE LEADER

The Oakdale varsity Lady Mustangs (7-0, 3-0) softball team survived an early deficit to earn a 6-2 home win over Manteca on Thursday, March 24.

Freshman Lexi Webb took to the circle and overcame a rocky start to the game. After walking the leadoff hitter and striking out the next, Webb gave up a two-run home run to give the visiting Buffaloes (6-3, 3-1) a 2-0 first inning lead, a lead they would hang on to until the third inning.

Entering the bottom of the third inning Oakdale only had one hit. However, the Lady Mustangs regrouped offensively in that frame, scoring three runs on four hits to take a 3-2 lead. Sophomore Shay Trent led the inning off with a bunt single. The speedy right fielder beat out the throw attempt at first and the rest of the team rallied around the momentum.

“I was just trying to reach base,” Trent said following the game.

She finished the game going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases. Oakdale scored its first run of the afternoon on a Britney Bye RBI single that scored Trent from second base to cut the lead down to 2-1 with no outs in the bottom of the third. Leadoff hitter Kindra Hackbarth got her second hit of the day on an RBI triple down the third base line that scored Bye from first base to tie the game. Sophomore third baseman Grace Green gave Oakdale their first lead of the game on an RBI double to score Hackbarth, putting Oakdale up 3-2.

With the game still at 3-2 Oakdale expanded their lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Haley Fuller’s one out RBI single scored Green from third and made it 4-2, and the next batter, Emily Greenwood, sent the ball up the middle for an RBI single of her own that scored Webb and gave Oakdale a comfortable 5-2 lead.

Oakdale’s final run of the game came off the bat of their freshman pitcher Webb on an RBI single to score Kindra Hackbarth from third with two outs. Webb earned her second win of the regular season pitching a complete game. After the tough start to her afternoon, Webb settled down and struck out 11 batters, giving up seven hits and walking three in the team’s victory. The Lady Mustangs traveled to Lathrop (1-4, 0-2) on Tuesday, March 29 following The Leader’s press time.

 

Junior Varsity

Oakdale’s junior varsity squad has been impressive this young season. After dismissing the Weston Ranch Cougars 30-0 on Tuesday, March 22 the JV Lady Mustangs dominated the visiting Manteca Buffaloes 17-0 on Thursday, March 24 to improve to 4-0 overall on the season. Oakdale traveled to Lathrop on Tuesday, March 29 after The Leader went to press.