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Buffaloes stay perfect against VOL competition
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Lucas Vaughn had a stellar pitching performance during Manteca’s 6-0 shutout over Lathrop on Thursday afternoon.

Vaughn finished with seven strikeouts and no walks during his three-hit victory. The Buffaloes improved to 8-0 in the Valley Oak League and 14-3 overall.

“(Vaughn) found his groove,” Manteca head coach Gene Ballardo said. “He adjusted on the mound and we thought he pitched pretty well today.”

Manteca’s defense was sound, and its offense delivered as well.

The Buffaloes went up 1-0 in the top of the first. They added one more in the fifth and two more in the sixth and seventh innings to make up the final score.

Manteca’s Ezequiel Diaz (1 for 2, one RBI, one run) and William Buddy Reeder (1 for 4) had two of the Buffaloes’ four hits. Michael Garibay (1 for 4) and Nate Chivello (1 for 4, one run) had the other two.

“I was pleased with our hitters,” Ballardo said. “They finally made some adjustments late in the game and started hitting the ball and finding the alley.”

Lathrop’s Preston Rizo pitched three innings and tossed four strikeouts with four walks. Mikey Pereznegron (two hits, four runs, five walks) finished the game for the Spartans.

“We allowed too many free bases,” Lathrop head coach Randy Baltazar said. “We need to do a better job of letting other teams earn their base rather than giving it to them.

“Manteca put the ball in play and we were throwing the ball around advancing their runners.”

Manteca will host Oakdale on Tuesday at Manteca High at 4 p.m.



Sonora 5, East Union 3


An infield error from East Union gave visiting Sonora (2-6 VOL, 10-9 overall) some life in the fifth inning, and it parlayed that miscue into the game-winning rally.

Justin Nieto was in full command from the bump going into the fifth with his Lancers (4-4, 10-9) ahead, 3-0. He rung up his eighth of 10 strikeouts to start off the inning and forced a grounder for the second out. The Wildcats began their comeback charge with a base hit up the middle, and that was followed by the error. Sonora then roped three straight hits, including a two-run double from Ryan Stevenson. EU found itself down 4-3 once the dust settled.

Sonora was able to tack on one more run in the top of the sixth on a wild pitch. Nieto was relieved by Jacob Danhoff after the sixth inning. Nieto walked none and scattered eight hits, and only one of the runs given up was earned.

Jesus Esquivel highlighted East Union offense with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the second.



Sophomore

Sonora 5, East Union 3


Gabe Sauceda went 1 for 2 with an RBI as East Union fell to 6-2 in the VOL following a tough loss against Sonora.

Colton Thomas went 2 for 3 and Gabe Chavez threw four innings and tallied five strikeouts. Marco Gonzalez finished the game scattering a couple more hits.