Pitching and defense helped East Union open the Cosumnes Oaks Easter Tournament with a 4-1 victory over Folsom on Monday.

The Lancers then outslugged host Cosumnes Oaks, 12-8. It was a tale of two different games that resulted in wins for East Union (7-4), which looks to pick up momentum in the two-day, four-game event with its always-intense Valley Oak League rivalry series with Manteca coming up next week.

Against Folsom (4-7), the bats came alive just in time for the Lancers, who scored twice in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Trevor Huntoon keyed both rallies with two RBI singles.  Jacob Danhoff plated two of those runs and drove in another with a double.

Pitcher Jordan Kron held up his end, giving up an unearned run in the third and collecting five strikeouts in a two-hit masterpiece.

The Lancers traded flurries with Cosumnes Oaks (7-4) in the late afternoon. They swatted 16 base hits, with five of them going for extra bases. The Wolfpack led 4-1 through three innings before EU rallied for six runs in the top of the fifth and one more in the sixth for an 8-4 lead. Cosumnes Oaks answered with four to tie it in the bottom of the sixth before EU sprinted away with the rest of its scores in the seventh.

Sam Robinson was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and drove in a run with a triple during the Lancers’ decisive seventh-inning swing.

Brennan Koeller was 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI. Lucas Garcia (double, 2 RBIs), Justin Ontiveros (RBI), Kron (double) and Danhoff (double, RBI) were each 2 for 5. Jesus Esquivel knocked in a pair of runs. Garcia was also the winning pitcher for EU.

East Union returns to Folsom and faces Sheldon at 10 this morning and Christian Brothers at 1 p.m.



Fresno Easter Classic

Sierra 6, Madera 1

At Clovis High, the Timberwolves (6-4-1) broke open what was a competitive game throughout with a three-run burst in the top of the seventh inning.

Blake Sundquist pieced together his finest outing of the season on the hill, going the distance while striking out one and walking one. Jacob Souza led the offense with a 3-for-3 effort, while Kyle Oden and Jake Pruitt were both 2 for 3. Mike Say crushed a triple for Madera (11-3).

Sierra resumes the tournament with West (Bakersfield) at 10 a.m. and Kerman at 4 p.m.



Sophomore

East Union 12, El Dorado 2

Kyle Emerson was 2 for 4 with a double and pitched three scoreless innings to lead the Squires to a mercy-shortened win at the Franklin (Elk Grove) Tournament.

Emerson struck out four and scattered just one hit and a walk. Freshman Joe Botelho struck out two in his relief inning. Matthew McGee contributed two hits and two RBIs.



Christian Brothers 9, East Union 8 (darkness)

The see-saw battle was cut short because of darkness. Emerson reached in all five of his at-bats, hitting 3 for 3 with a walk and bean ball. Todd Parcells was 3 for 4, and Chance Goatched walked three times. Gabe Chavez struck out six and yielded two hits in four innings from the mound.