Oakdale High School’s varsity baseball boys battled to a 2-1 series win over Sierra. The Mustangs took the first two games of the series before Sierra avoided the sweep with a 7-3 victory in game three.
In game one, Oakdale defeated the Timberwolves 7-5 on April 22. With Sierra up 5-1 in the fourth inning, Oakdale’s bats woke up and scored six runs to take a 7-5 lead. Eric Velazquez led the team with two hits and one run batted in. Carlo Antinetti, Tommy Chance, Griffin Costa, Reid Grandstaff and Landon Schutte each drove in a run for Oakdale as well. A trio of pitchers took the mound for Oakdale. Freshman Peyton Wallace pitched five innings, giving up seven hits, three earned runs, four strikeouts and issued a pair of walks. Ayden Ardis pitched a perfect inning and Tommy Chance pitched one scoreless inning with two hits and a pair of strikeouts.
Game two of the series took place at Sierra High School on April 24. It was another rally for the Mustangs as they scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning to help earn the 11-7 road win. Sierra committed four errors and the Mustangs had one. Grandstaff led the team with two runs batted in. Chance and Glen Weber each had two hits. Christian Diebner had the team’s other hit. Maddox Dias, Talan Abel, Velazquez and Wallace all had a run batted in. Diebner also had a stolen base. Trey Parsons pitched six innings for the Mustangs. Parsons gave up seven hits, five earned runs, four walks and struck out three batters. Ardis pitched one inning with one hit.
In the series finale, Sierra scored five unanswered runs to earn a 7-3 road win on Friday, April 26. In the loss, Oakdale had three errors and just two hits. Dias and Griffin Costa had a hit and a run batted in each. Three Mustang pitchers took to the mound. Chance pitched two innings, giving up three earned runs, four walks issued, and three hits with one strikeout. Costa pitched three innings with one earned run, three walks issued and two strikeouts. Colby Crofts pitched a pair of innings with no earned runs surrendered.
Oakdale is atop the Valley Oak League standings with a 14-1 record; they are 21-6 overall and will have Senior Day festivities May 1 as they host El Capitan in non-league action.
