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Dias grand slam caps East Union victory
Lancers hoping recent slump is over after outburst
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Justin Dias watches his deep fly ball head for the left-center field fence, which ended up going for a game-ending grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning of East Union’s 15-3 win against Weston Ranch Friday at Agostini Field. - photo by JONAMAR JACINTO
East Union High leadoff hitter Justin Dias may have finally busted out of his slump.

One of the Lancers’ top offensive players a season ago, Dias went into the week carrying a .241 batting average.

He had five productive at-bats Friday, none more so than his grand-slam wallop that ended East Union’s 15-3 mercy-shortened victory over Weston Ranch in the sixth inning at Agostini Field.

Dias finished 3 for 3 with three runs scored, five RBIs, a double and two sacrifice flies. The walk-off homer went to left center.

“I haven’t been hitting all that good, so when I hit it I knew it had the feeling and it had the distance, but I wasn’t sure,” Dias said. “I was just hustling around the bases as hard as I could, and when I looked up it was over.”

Also in on the hit parade: Ronnie Limas (2 for 2, 3 runs, 3 RBIs), Steven Gigli (2 for 3, 2B, 2 runs, RBI), Jordan Kron (2 for 4, 2B, 3B, three RBIs), Brock Swift (2-run 2B) and Alex Dias (2B, run).

The Lancers plated three runs in each of the first two innings, then three more in the fourth.

East Union (3-2 Valley Oak League, 7-5 overall) had been slumping as a whole leading up to the Weston Ranch series. It went 14 innings without scoring a run, starting with the seven extra frames up in Sonora (a 5-4 winner in the bottom of the 14th) last Friday, April 2, and continuing this past Monday in a 5-0 defeat to defending league champion Oakdale.

East Union will have its rematch against Oakdale in a make-up game Monday back at Agostini Field.

“Our focus was really good,” East Union coach Dan Triglia said. “We’ve obviously had a busy week.

“Sometimes when games get a little out of control it’s tough to maintain the focus, but I thought we did a good job of that today.”

Weston Ranch (0-5, 1-10-1) had its own offensive dry spell to work out of and did so in the top of the fifth inning to extend the game.

Marcus Vega-Tatum and Kevin Haruta each hit one-out infield singles, and Tyler Scharnow reached on an error to load the bases. Sophomore Jared Ferrari drove in two with a knock to right center, and Akiha Etu (2 for 3) finished off the rally with an RBI single to left.

The Cougars scored their first runs in two weeks after getting blanked by Oakdale twice and again by East Union, 17-0, on Wednesday.

“We swung the bats and eliminated a lot of our mistakes,” Weston Ranch coach Ron Wayman said. “I’m pretty proud of the way we’ve come back this week. Hopefully we can put it together for the rest of the season and be more competitive.”

Wayman was especially glad to see his ace, Tyler Scharnow (1 2/3 IP, 2 unearned runs, 2 hits, BB), show no ill effects from elbow tendinitis sustained in early March.

For East Union, starter Zac Carrillo lasted 4 1/3 innings and got the win, striking out four while giving up seven hits, a walk and three runs (two earned). Swift got the final five outs, fanny the last four batters he faced.