Manteca’s baseball team again pitched well enough to win, but lapses elsewhere led to another non-league loss, this time by a tough-to-swallow 3-2 margin in eight innings to visiting Pitman of Turlock Monday.

The Pride (4-1) was aided by an outfield error to score the winning run in the top of the eighth.

Hayden Baldwin drew a leadoff walk and later advanced to third on the miscue in right field. Chris Mattos singled him home.

Manteca (1-3-1) had a chance to at least tie in the bottom half after Gabe Rellamos smacked a one-out single. Matt Barber reached on an infield single after his comebacker caromed off the pitcher’s glove, but on the same play Rellamos was thrown out at third.

A groundout ended the threat and the game.

“Missed opportunities,” Manteca assistant coach Mike Costa said. “This was definitely one we felt we should have won but let it get away. Our pitching has been pretty solid but our hitting is sporadic.”

Matt Mueller was solid in his four-inning start, giving up two runs (one earned) and four hits while striking out three. Barber pitched the next three in relief, and Matt Burrows was charged with the loss.

 Burrows, who was 3 for 4 from the plate, drove in the tying run in the fifth inning. Michael Timmins went 2 for 4, and Barber finished 2 for 5 with an RBI.

The Buffaloes will be challenged again Wednesday at home against Grace Davis of Modesto.

STOCKTON — Sophomore pitcher Tyler Scharnow (six strikeouts, three earned runs) picked up the win with a solid six-inning effort.

Akiha Etu highlighted a productive day at the plate for the Cougars (1-1) with a 3-for-4 performance that included to go-ahead homer in the fifth inning, a double and three RBIs. Corey Lee was also 3 for 4 with two runs.

Steven Singh finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a double. He also threw the final inning in relief, yielding one run and striking out one.

Weston Ranch led 4-0 after three innings, but Franklin tied it in the bottom of the fourth.

“We took a much better approach as a whole,” Weston Ranch coach Dave Smith said. “We were able to do some things we worked on in practice and saw results in the game. It was overall a good effort this early in the season.”

Weston Ranch next plays host to neighboring Edison today.

LATHROP — Three days after picking up their first-ever varsity win, the Spartans (2-1) recorded another Monday behind a dominant pitching performance from Michael Lopez. Lopez threw all five innings and struck out 12 while scattering four hits.

He helped himself out with a 2-for-4 outing at the plate with two RBIs and a run.

Sophomore Gabriel Castellanos was 3 for 3 to lead the attack, adding two doubles, three RBIs and two runs to his line. Kevin Howard was 1 for 2 but walked twice, scored three times and stole a base.

Lathrop next faces Cosumnes Oaks, another first-year varsity team, of Elk Grove at home Wednesday.