Manteca pitcher Nayellys Torres came out on fire Tuesday, striking out the first 11 Sierra batters she faced.
She then induced a groundout against the 12th batter before she was relieved following four perfect innings in a 7-0 Valley Oak League softball win for the visiting Buffaloes.
“We have had some high strikeout totals,” Manteca coach Josh Farris said. “She (Torres) is in the conversation as the best Manteca pitcher of all time, and I think rightfully so. She is a competitor and has had a lot of strikeouts in her career.
“She is a teammate that we all look forward to playing defense for, but when she takes over like that, that is true Nelly right there.”
Torres also walked and singled.
“I think I have thrown three consecutive innings for nine strikeouts, but I don’t think I have ever started with 11 strikeouts,” Torres said. “I was just focusing on my pitches and working on my spin and working with our catcher Nemo (Na’ima Calderon), and it all went good.”
In addition to catching those four perfect innings, Calderon went 3 for 4 with an RBI double.
“I have been struggling at the plate, but I picked up the energy today to help get the team going,” Calderon said. “I felt like if I could hit the ball the hits would string together.”
Sienna Lowery walked in her first two trips for the Buffaloes (3-0 VOL, 11-2 overall), singling and scoring in her next two trips, adding an RBI.
“Taking the walks was being unselfish at the plate, but at the end as a team we all got our hits together,” Lowery said. “It was a slow game at first, but we picked it up.”
Manteca got two runners on in each of the first three innings but could not score. After going down in order in the fourth, the Buffaloes tallied four in the fifth with two being gifted to them. With one out, Lowery singled, stole second and third followed by Maleiah Garza (2 for 3, RBI, double, triple, two runs) who walked and stole second.
An attempt to pick off Lowery at third sailed off the mark, allowing Lowery and Garza to score the game’s first two runs. Jocelyn Baptist (RBI) then reached on an error and Torres singled. Jayana Dias sacrificed in Baptist and running for Torres, Isabel Tonna came in on double by Calderon.
Manteca added three more runs in the sixth on an RBI triple by Garza and RBI singles by Lowery and Baptist.
Tonna came in to relieve Torres in the fifth and Sierra was held hitless until with two out in the seventh Maitland Kohoutek, Breanna Tyler and Val Villanueva strung together three consecutive singles. Tonna – who struck out the side in order in the sixth and fanned five in a row into the seventh – induced a groundout to end the game.
Timberwolves coach Mike James knew he had faced an outstanding pitcher in Torres but was proud in the fight his girls had all the way to the end.
“She did great,” James said of Torres. “They are a good team and they are well-coached, and it’s tough when you come out and you see those BBs coming at you.
“I loved the way the girls rallied in the seventh inning. I loved it. They never gave up and they never quit. Our team held together for our assistant coach (Joe Villanueva), who is a little under the weather.”
In a showdown for first place in the VOL, the Buffaloes host Oakdale on Thursday, while Sierra hosts Central Catholic. Both games are at 4 p.m.
