In a busy and important week of competition, Oakdale High varsity golf and baseball teams won key Valley Oak League match-ups to stay atop the league standings, while girls soccer and softball teams watched lone conference defeats drop both programs to second place.

Following is a wrap of games from all four sports, and recent results from the Oakdale tennis team.

Golf

The VOL golf championship isn’t decided until the 18-hole conference tournament on May 3, but Oakdale (11-1) took a big step toward a league title with a one-stroke victory over second place East Union (11-2) at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club on April 14.

Ian Stogdell matched Michael Tripp’s lowest score of the season (36 strokes) to take an even par score on the front nine. Tripp shot a 39 and saw Ryan Jones (42), Connor Gust (44), Robby Wikoff (50) and Isaac Valdez (throw-out 51) mark solid scores.

East Union league MVP frontrunner, Will Brink, shot a 38. Jordan Duval carded a 39 for the Lancers, who had only two golfers under 44 strokes.

Oakdale is 16-2 overall on the season and tackles host Weston Ranch on Thursday. The Mustangs host the Oakdale Challenge at The Trinitas Golf Course on April 26.

Baseball

A league-ending series with Sonora in May is an obvious obstacle, but a two-game, two-day stanza with Manteca (6-2) today and Thursday will go a long way to deciding the future VOL baseball champion.

Oakdale (8-2) will open at Manteca today, a week after punishing postseason hopeful Sierra (4-4) in 12-1 and 7-2 verdicts.

Oakdale, Manteca, East Union (6-2) Sonora (6-3) and Sierra all remain in the conference title hunt, where only three teams will advance to face six other playoff qualifiers in a three-round playoff to decide a section title that Oakdale has won three times in the past four years.

Oakdale remains in good position for a repeat after the clutch Sierra wins and 20 hits from nine different batters across the series. Matt Butler hit 3 for 7 with three RBIs in the two games, while Spencer Thomas finished 3 for 6 with two doubles and two RBIs. Lane Branch was a sharp 2 for 3 with two runs while Braydon Stephens hit 4 for 6 with two doubles.

Brennon Williams crushed a home run with three RBI’s in the second game, and tossed five innings with nine strikeouts and only two hits, one run allowed in the first.

Russell Longworth started the second game and went six innings with seven strikeouts and two runs allowed. Butler capped both games with a scoreless inning where he allowed no hits and struck out one.

“Our guys stepped up and played big when we needed it,” Oakdale coach Hondo Arpoika said on Monday. “From here on out we have to treat every game like it’s a championship one.”

Softball

A 3-2 first-inning lead on Manteca stayed that way to the final tally on April 12, but Oakdale slipped in a 2-1 defeat at Sierra on April 14 to lose their stranglehold on the conference lead last week.

Sierra (7-1) now leads a tight title race that includes Oakdale (6-2) and Kimball (6-2). Both Oakdale and Sierra will have one more contest with the Jaguars of Tracy this season.

“I think our girls would like an opportunity to meet (Sierra) again,” Oakdale coach Larry Loger said. “We will have to step it up now and make a final run at the playoffs.”

Oakdale committed some untimely errors in both contests last week, and saw two of four errors against Manteca give the Buffaloes a 2-0 lead to start the game. Oakdale fired back when Marissa Toy stole two bases and took home on a ground out. Kaila Olson walked and scored on a Shelby Cordova stolen base attempt before Brianna Parker could step to the plate and smash a two-out solo home run to take the lead for good. Brooke Magnussen also hit 2 for 3 in that game.

Parker pitched a great game to allow only three Sierra hits, but another four-error game spelled trouble for Oakdale after a solid pitching effort from Sierra ace Allison Walljasper. Toy, Parker, Shelby Reali and Sarah Peterson all belted hits off Walljasper.

“I felt we were very focused and ready to play,” Loger said. “We just couldn't quite get it done.”

The Oakdale junior varsity team destroyed Manteca in a 17-0 contest that saw multiple hits from Anneliese Davis, Hanna Holland, Rylie Pena and Lauren Sanders. Pena also went five innings with only two hits allowed and five strikeouts.

Two days later, Davis delivered a seven-inning gem and a 6-2 win over Sierra after six strikeouts. She joined Sanders and Morgan Arndt (double, home run) on the multiple hit list.

“This was probably our biggest game of the VOL season,” Oakdale JV coach Allison Branco said. “ Sierra came out ready to beat us, but Davis pitched well and we got a lot of big hits at the right time.”

Soccer

A 3-2 loss to Sierra (6-1-2) gave the Timberwolves a look at first place in the VOL standings, but Oakdale stayed just behind with an important 3-0 revenge shutout of Kimball on April 13.

Oakdale (6-2-1) now needs to win out and see Sierra suffer a hiccup to claim a league championship.

The loss to Sierra came despite five Morgan Kinyon saves and a goal each by Jill Kahler and Jessica Gomez (Jenna Micheletti assist).

Kinyon had five saves in the win over Kimball and watched Kerri Feuerstein tally two scores. Sydni Avant also found the net, while Kristen Brunk and Katie Adian (two) made assists.

Oakdale’s junior varsity team got a road win on Wednesday after Ally Jackson broke open a scoreless deadlock with Kimball on a second half unassisted goal that sparked a three-score rally. Alyssa Perigen added the second goal on an assist from Montana Nunes and Katie Homer scored the final goal of the day, unassisted.

Oakdale hosted Lathrop on Monday, with the JV coming through with an 8-0 rout that featured many defensive players contributing to the score. Nunes and Kori Altmann had two goals apiece, with one each from Izzy Arellano, Christina Bradshaw, Kelsea Rodriguez, and Becka Keating. Notching assists were Perigen (2), Arellano, Jackson (2), Homer, and Jessica Estrada (2). Bradshaw also collected two saves in goal in the second half.

The program tackles East Union today in a key conference match-up for both squads.

Tennis

Oakdale went 1-1 last week after a 4-1 loss to East Union and a 5-0 blowout of Lathrop.

Antone Grenvall was the lone Mustang to shine in the East Union match on April 14 after 6-0, 6-1 wins over Ariel Rosette. Paul Perrone also did well, but fell in 5-7, 3-6 scores.

Grenvall (6-0, 6-0), Perrone (default) and Daniel Dunning (6-0, 6-2) all won matches over Lathrop. Jared Firstbrook and Chandler Johnson took 6-0, 6-1 scores while Jeremy Willinger and Austin Clayton landed a pair of 6-2 wins.

Oakdale hosts Weston Ranch on Thursday.