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Varsity Mustang Baseball Season Comes To An End
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First year head coach Chris Henry talks to his varsity Mustangs following their first round baseball playoff win over Pacheco. Henry was named VOL Coach of the Year.Leader Photos By Dennis D. Cruz

Oakdale High School’s baseball postseason came to a halt on Friday, May 18 following an 8-0 home loss to Beyer. The loss came in the second round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III tournament. Oakdale entered the tournament as the three seed and defeated Pacheco, the 14 seed 11-1 on Tuesday, May 15 at Oakdale High School. Two days later the team stumbled and were upset by the sixth-seeded Patriots.

In the first round victory, Oakdale scored a minimum of one run in each inning, except the third. With a 3-1 lead heading into the fourth, the team scored six runs in the fourth to pull away. In the inning, Oakdale batted around the order nearly twice, resulting six runs. Shorstop Alex Daoud got the inning started with an RBI double to score Hayden Knittel from third base. Daoud scored on a pop up that was mishandled by the Pacheco catcher moments later. Max Moore had four RBI on the day including two in the fourth inning. He also connected on a two-run single that ended the game in the fifth inning. Jacob Solorio had two hits in the game and two RBI including a two-RBI triple in the fourth.

On the mound for Oakdale, Knittel started the game and pitched three innings and Justin Jericoff entered in the fourth inning and pitched two perfect innings.

Oakdale’s season came to an end when they fell to Beyer, a team that they had lost to 5-4 back in February in a non-league contest. In the loss Oakdale had as many hits as they did errors (four). Daoud, Dylan Wright, Dane Gibson and Solorio each had one hit, all were singles. Marcus Juarez started the game for Oakdale and took an exit in the third inning after giving up three runs on five hits. Things got away from the Mustangs in the sixth inning when Beyer scored five runs.

Oakdale struggled against pitcher TJ Wheeler with just four hits and struck out seven times in six innings against him. At the plate Wheeler connected on a two-run home run and finished the day with three RBI.

“Defensive miscues cost us the game today. Defensively and pitching, we have to eliminate errors and walks on the mound if we want to be successful,” said coach Chris Henry.

In his first season as head coach, Henry was named Coach of the Year in the Valley Oak League.

“This team was special, they are all special but you find your niche with each team. It has been humbling to watch them transform into young men,” said Henry of his current roster.