Done in by many of its own miscues, Sierra stumbled to an 11-7 loss to visiting Oakdale on Wednesday.

The Timberwolves committed six errors, hit two batters and walked 10. Oakdale raced away with a five-run fifth inning in which three runs were scored on bases-loaded walks and another on a hit batter. Three of the Mustangs’ first runs of the game were plated on wild pitches. They had just one hit through four innings but still led, 5-4.

“That kind of sums it up,” Sierra coach Travis Thomson said. “You’re not going to win many baseball games like that.”

It was a Valley Oak League game the Timberwolves (6-8, 13-11 overall) needed to win to improve their chances at qualifying for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

Oakdale (11-3, 21-5) has already won the best-of-three series, while clinching at least a share of the VOL title. The Mustangs host Sierra on Friday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Oakdale, Central Catholic and Manteca have shored up three out of the four postseason berths, and Sierra is vying for the final spot with East Union. With EU owning the head-to-head tiebreaking advantage over the T’wolves, it will only need to win one of its final two games to qualify.

Thomson is more focused on his team playing closer to its capabilities in what could be its last game of the year.

“We compounded our mistakes,” he said. “As soon as we’d make one mistake, we’d follow it up with a second and third. There were just too many big innings. … We’ve just got to do more baseball things.”

Sierra did enough offensively, outhitting the Mustangs, 7-4. Collins Schluer went 4 for 4 with a double, a run and an RBI.

After an eventful second inning in which Oakdale staked a 3-0 lead, Sierra responded with four runs in the bottom of the third. Troy Morrow, one of the players honored on Senior Day, sparked the T’wolves with a double, and Schluer executed a perfect bunt for a single. Jacob Morrow knocked in a run with a single, and Angel Valdez drove in two with a double. Druw Navarro, who was hit by a pitch, scored the go-ahead run on Travis Boyd’s groundout.

Wyatt Bauer and Isaiah Yanez contributed back-to-back sacrifice flies in the bottom of the seventh.

Sierra starting pitcher Ryan McIntyre left the game with a sore elbow. Senior lefty Josh Seals entered in a tough spot. With two runners already on base, he walked the first batter he faced and threw two wild pitches that Oakdale scored on.

The Mustangs nearly scored again on a wild pitch, but Christian Diebner was tagged out by Seals at the plate. An Oakdale assistant coach disputed the call and was ejected.

Seals wound up pitching three innings and was snake-bit on his two plate appearances. He clubbed a deep drive to center field but was robbed by a running over-the-shoulder catch from Eric Velazquez for the final out of the second inning. In the third, Seals hit a sharp grounder that was turned for a double play.

“Seals battled up there,” Thomson said. “Had a tough time finding the strike zone but he works hard. Those were his first two at-bats of the year, and he smoked the ball.”

Hayden Cornado (2/3 innings) and Yanez (2 1/3 innings) also pitched in relief for Sierra.

Oakdale’s Trey Parsons got the win after surrendering five runs on seven hits, four walks and three hit batters over six innings. Cleanup batter Glen Weber went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI.

“Hats off to Oakdale, they just played better than us,” Thomson said. “Sometimes, baseball is as simple as that.”