A split with Sonora High earned Oakdale’s varsity baseball team Valley Oak League title honors and a trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason.The team will square off with Lincoln of Lincoln in today’s (May 19) 7 p.m. Division IV opener at Dan McAuliffe Memorial Park in Sacramento.Lincoln enters the postseason as the No. 3 seed from the Pioneer Valley League, despite four losses in their last six PVL contests.Oakdale (13-3 VOL, 19-8 overall) had defeated visiting Sonora 7-6 on May 11 to clinch a league title, and dropped an inconsequential 4-1 game to the Wildcats two days later.The win came after a big two-way performance from Brennon Williams, who tossed five innings and struck out eight with only three hits allowed. He also went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs while Tanner Combs and Kody Simons belted home runs and grabbed two RBIs apiece. Matt Butler pitched two strong innings and smashed a double, while Joey Machado was 1-for-3 with a double.Lincoln went just 7-5 in the PVL and amassed an overall record of 13-11 with a run scoring advantage of just 146-131 this year.The team is led by all-around senior standout Austin Cairns, who boasts a sharp .420 average at the plate in 88 at bats (37 hits, 25 RBIs, 11 doubles). Cairns also leads the team in innings pitched (57) and carries a 5.53 earned run average with 29 strikeouts recorded.Cody Cesna has downed 37 hitters via strikes and sports a 4.45 ERA in over 45 innings pitched as well.If Oakdale can work past Cairns, Cesna and the Lincoln Zebras, it will face the winner of Rio Linda and Bear River in a best-of-three series on Saturday and Tuesday.
Mustangs Face Zebras In Baseball Opener
