Oakdale High School’s varsity softball team got off to a successful start in playoffs. The Lady Mustangs opened up the postseason with a commanding home win over Placer and then earned a second-round victory over Del Campo.
In the opening round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 4 playoffs, the number three seed Oakdale squad hosted number 14 Placer in a Wednesday, May 13 matchup. Oakdale dominated as they posted an 11-1 home win. Emily Thomasson pitched a complete game for Oakdale. She finished the game with four strikeouts, surrendering six hits, including a solo home run for the only Placer run of the afternoon.
Offensively, Oakdale scored in almost every inning. Three of those came in the first inning. Saige Everett hit an RBI double to center field in the bottom of the first for the first run of the game. A throwing error gave Oakdale a 2-0 advantage with two outs. Katee Condee doubled to center field to give Oakdale a 3-0 lead. In the second inning Reese Donaldson hit a triple and scored on the same play (not ruled an inside the park home run) to go up 4-0. With two outs, Holly Conde hit an RBI double to make it a 6-0 ball game. The hits and runs kept coming when Audrey Romiti rapped out an RBI double to score Saige Everett to make it 7-0.
In the bottom of the sixth inning with a 7-1 lead, Oakdale ended the game via the 10-run rule. Ella Christensen drove in a pair of runs with two outs to go up 9-1. Sasha Martinez drove in a run on a single. Taylor Lowry ended the evening on a deep hit to center field for an 11-1 victory.
Two days later, Oakdale corralled Del Campo 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Oakdale hosted the number six Del Campo team on Friday, May 15. The host Lady Mustangs took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first; Del Campo scored a run in the top of the second but Oakdale got it back in the bottom of the frame to led 3-1. Three more runs in the fourth for Oakdale made it a 6-1 game; Del Campo scored a run in the top of the sixth but couldn’t get any closer, with Oakdale taking the quarterfinal win.
Reese Donaldson had the hot bat, going 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, one of her hits was a triple. Briley Everett was 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI; Sasha Martinez also went 3-for-3 and scored a run.
On the mound, it was Thomasson delivering again, going seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run, scattering eight hits and striking out nine.
The quarterfinal win earned Oakdale a trip to face familiar foe Central Catholic. The game was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, May 19 following The Leader press time.
Oakdale entered the game with a 15-9 overall record as the three seed; Central Catholic was the number two seed in D4, coming in to the semifinal round with a 21-8 overall record.
Winner of the Tuesday game moves on to the D4 Section championship game on Saturday, May 23, facing the winner of the number one seed Pioneer-number five Wood contest, also played on May 19.
TRACK AND FIELD
Oakdale emerged from the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 Finals with two champions; as Grant Gardner won the pole vault, clearing 14-06.00 and Natalie Powell captured the shot put with a first-place throw of 39-06.00.
The two athletes returned from the event at Sacramento City College – Hughes Stadium as Section champions on Saturday, May 16.
The D3 trials were hosted on May 13 at Manteca High School and several Mustangs qualified to move on from there.
At the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 finals, there were some other notable performances for the Oakdale athletes.
Wes Burford took second place in the 110 hurdles in 14.55; Eri Rubio was second in the shot put at 54-07.50. Burford also placed eighth in the 300 hurdles while Rubio was seventh in discus.
Weston McGhee finished 12th in the 1600 for Oakdale and Caden Adams earned a sixth-place finish in the pole vault.
For the Lady Mustangs, in addition to winning shot put, Natalie Powell was fifth in discuss. Aubrey Sibley was fifth in the pole vault at the D3 finals, while Ellie Constant was fifth in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump. Ashlyn Splettstoesser was ninth in the triple jump.
In the 100-meter hurdles, Danika Savage placed eighth at the finals, while Addison Wylie took ninth in the 1600 meters.
Reporter Dennis D. Cruz and Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this report.
