MODESTO – Ricky Acosta went 2 for 5 with an RBI and closed out the bottom of the seventh with a strikeout Wednesday in the opening round of the Johansen Tournament as Manteca picked up its second win in as many outings, 7-3.
With the score knotted at two, the Buffaloes broke it open with a three-spot in the top of the fifth.
Curtiss May went 2 for 3 with an RBI, and C.J. Rivas knocked home a pair with a 2-for-2 clip.
“We got a lot of clutch hitting, a lot of two-out hits,” Manteca head coach Gene Ballardo said. “It was a complete team effort. We had a lot of good jumps (on the base paths), made some nice reads.”
The Buffaloes also enjoyed solid pitching, as Matty Barber (2 IP, 1 ER, 1 K), Ryan Knisely (3 IP, o R, 2 K) and Acosta allowed just two earned runs.
Knisely picked up the win.
Manteca (2-0) heads back to Modesto today for the second round against Tokay.
First pitch is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. on Johansen varsity diamond.
Matt Mueller had two hits and four runs scored, and Anthony Louie picked up the win with four innings of one-run ball as Manteca moved to 2-0 on the season.
The Buffaloes face Tokay this afternoon in the second round of the Johansen Tournament.
The Baby Buffs made it a program sweep over Atwater, winning 12-1.