The Oakdale High School varsity softball team took the field twice this week. On Monday, March 29 the girls traveled to Manteca to take on the Buffaloes and won 7-0. Wednesday, March 31 the girls made short work of visiting Kimball 12-0 in five innings.
Against Manteca, Delainey Everett was the winning pitcher as she pitched five innings, surrendering just two hits and striking out nine batters. Raegen Everett also pitched in the game for Oakdale as she threw two innings giving up one hit and striking out five.
Delainey and Raegen shared the first of many pitching efforts to come in their careers at OHS,” said head coach Larry Loger.
Hitting for the Mustangs was not an issue as they had eight hits in the road win. The Everett girls combined for four of them. Delainey went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Raegen went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cassie Haakma had a multi-hit game with a pair of singles. Amanda Bricker drove in two runs as well. The big inning for Oakdale came in the sixth inning with two outs. The two-out rally saw the Mustangs score six runs on six hits.
In their home game against Kimball; Oakdale had a total of 15 hits including multiple hits by several players. Alexa Aguilar went 2-for-3 with two RBI and scored three runs. Bricker went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI. Kylie Valente had three RBI in the win.
Wednesday’s game was also Senior Night 2021. Oakdale honored four senior players. They were Dylan Gonzalez, Alexa Aguilar, Rachel Haakma and Cassie Haakma.
Following the wins Oakdale is now 2-0 in Valley Oak League play and 3-1 overall. They return to play on Tuesday, April 14 when they take on East Union on the road with a 5 p.m. start time. Friday, April 16 the girls are on the road against Weston Ranch with a 4 p.m. start time.
The junior varsity girls earned a pair of wins this past week as they knocked off Manteca 18-0 and Kimball 14-3.
BASEBALL
The Oakdale Mustang varsity baseball team, using a late inning rally and a masterful 5-inning relief pitching performance by junior Nate Criswell, defeated a scrappy Ripon Indians team by the score of 6-3 at home on April Fools Day. The Mustangs, who had defeated Ripon by the score of 17-0 on Tuesday, March 30, appeared out of sync in the first two innings under starting pitcher, junior Lukas Cox. Ripon starting pitcher Chase Stepenson led off the game with a single, advanced on an error, and then made it to third on a base hit by Noah Stum. Following two strikeouts, Stepenson scored on a wild pitch. The Mustangs and Cox were hurt in the bottom of the second frame with a leadoff walk followed by another error. Both the errors in the first and second innings were potential double play balls hit to the infield that were misplayed by the Mustangs. Two base hits by the Indians produced two more runs, extending the Ripon lead to 3-0.
The Mustangs got a run back in the bottom of the second when left fielder, junior Johnny Wylie was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a ground out by senior catcher Carson Cripe, and then scored on an RBI single by senior first baseman Joey Janssen. Criswell came on in relief of Cox in the top of the third and got seven consecutive outs before surrendering a base hit in the top of the fifth. The runner was later erased while trying to steal third base on a perfect throw from catcher Cripe to third baseman Preston Vierra to end the top of the fifth. All in all, Criswell surrendered no runs, on two hits, walked two and struck out six. He was also aided by a spectacular pickoff throw by Cripe to Janssen in the sixth.
The Mustangs clawed closer to the Indians in their half of the fourth inning when Criswell reached on a throwing error then scored on an RBI double by Cripe, who was thrown out trying to extend his double into a triple. Cripe would end the day 2 for 3 with a double and a single and one RBI. The Mustangs evened the score in the fifth inning when center fielder Dom Antinetti was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI double by Nunes. The Mustangs broke the game open in the bottom half of the sixth inning when Criswell, Wylie and Cripe each got singles to begin the stanza. Janssen followed with his second hit of the day (he finished 2 for 3), garnering his second run batted in. Junior Tate Casaretto then singled, knocking in Wylie and Cripe to complete the scoring. The win improved the Mustangs’ VOL record to 2-0.
Even though it’s spring break this week, the Mustangs are to host the Knights of Ripon Christian High School on both Tuesday and Thursday at the Mustang Ballpark, with both games slated to begin at 4 p.m.
