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DeBrouwer keys Sierra win with grand slam
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Scottie DeBrouwer knew that he had a golden opportunity in front of him as he stepped into the batter’s box.
With the bases loaded and two outs, DeBrouwer waited patiently for a pitch that he could hit, settling in and waiting for Manteca’s Ricky Acosta to deliver the sophomore the shot he had been waiting for.
And he found it.
DeBrouwer turned on a fastball and sent it deep over the head of left fielder Curtiss May and beyond the fence for a grand slam that Sierra (7-1 VOL, 13-5) a five-run lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sierra’s 7-3 victory is its fourth straight going into its big series with Valley Oak League frontrunner Oakdale.
“I was just watching the ball come out of his hand and waiting for the right pitch,” DeBrouwer said. “Fortunately he challenged me with a fastball and I put the barrel of the bat right onto the ball.”
After Sierra jumped out to an early lead with the game’s first run in the first inning, Manteca (2-6, 8-11-1) answered back in the third when Sam Jorgensen drove in an RBI with a solid single and worked his way around the bases for a run as well – giving Manteca the 2-1 nod.
Not to be outdone, Sierra’s Andy Scott, who drove in the game’s first run, parked the first pitch of the fourth inning  to right center, knotting the game at 2-2. DeBrouwer would bring him home four batters later to give Sierra a 3-2 margin.
While the Timberwolves enjoyed some offensive production, Acosta’s presence on the mound stifled several scoring opportunities en route to the five strikeouts he carried into the fifth inning.
“We had a couple of big hits today and that really helped us out,” Sierra head coach Jack Thomson said. “But they had a good pitcher throwing today and we did a really good job of making plays when we needed to.
“We didn’t close it out very well there at the end, but this is a big week for us – this is a series that has been split for the last three or four years, and to get these wins the week before Oakdale is really big.”
DeBrouwer finished the game with two hits and five RBIs, and Scott finished 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs.
Manteca’s Matt Barber went 2 for 3 with two singles and a run scored.
To contact Jason Campbell, e-mail  HYPERLINK "mailto:jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com" jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com, or call (209) 249-3544.