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Oakdale needs extra inning to beat upset-minded Cougars
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Six days after stunning Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV finalist Manteca, Weston Ranch nearly shocked section champion Oakdale at home Thursday.

Oakdale needed an extra inning to get past the Cougars, 7-4 — this after Weston Ranch suffered a 17-0 mercy-shortened defeat to the Mustangs on Wednesday.

In the top of the eighth, Lane Branch led off the deciding rally for Oakdale (6-0 Valley Oak League, 14-1 overall) with a pinch-hit single. Mark Ortiz reached on a sacrifice bunt, and Kody Simmons drove them both in for the lead. Andy Morris smacked an RBI hit for the final run.

Tyler Scharnow did all he could from the pitcher’s mound for Weston Ranch (1-3, 4-8), throwing 121 pitches in seven innings for seven strikeouts. He gave up seven hits, two walks and one unearned run, but three costly errors ultimately wasted Scharnow’s gutty effort.

Scharnow and Christian Vazquez each clubbed two hits to lead the offense.

Oakdale led 4-1 after three innings before Weston Ranch chipped away to tie it.

“The guys played fantastic baseball today and I am very proud of them,” Weston Ranch coach Ron Wayman said. “We proved again we can play with the elites of the VOL.”

Kimball 8, Sierra 6

The Timberwolves (2-2, 10-4) fell victim to a late spurt from Kimball (2-4, 6-4), which scored two in the fourth and five in the sixth to take an 8-3 lead.

Sierra aided the Jaguars’ cause in the fifth with two errors, a hit batter and a walk. The Timberwolves mounted a seventh-inning comeback when they plated their remaining three runs but hit into a game-ending double play with runners on first and second.

Dakota Conners led Sierra with a 3-for-4 effort.

Southern League
Ripon Christian 11, Denair 0

In Ripon, Kalvin Prins tossed a five-inning three-hitter while going 3 for 3 with two RBIs from the plate.

Colby De Vries (two RBIs) and Dominic Nelson (three RBIs) each went 2 for 2. The Knights (5-2, 5-8-1) did all of their damage in the first three inning, opening with a three-run rally in the first, two more in the second and six in the third.

Sophomore
Manteca 12, Sonora 5

In Sonora Tuesday, Alex Jorgensen erupted for two doubles, a triple and three runs scored in a 3-for-5 effort at the dish.
Alex Garlets went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, and Tom Reich finished 2 for 4 with two runs.

Winning pitcher Michael Garibay struck out seven and yielded five hits and two walks. Nick Brooks fanned four in two relief innings.

Manteca 12, Sonora 2

The Buffaloes (4-0 VOL, 8-4 overall) made it eight straight victories Wednesday.

Brandon Landwehr (two runs) and Daniel Lauborough (double) each batted 2 for 4. Alex Jorgensen earned the win from the mound, striking out five and scattering three hits in four innings. Lauborough pitched the final frame.

East Union 11, Lathrop 1

Lucas Garcia and Brandon Ridgewell both went 2 for 4 and drove in three runs apiece in the six-inning rout.

Stevie Perez contributed a pinch-hit RBI single, and Kyle Emerson, recently called up from the freshman team, was 1 for 2 with a sacrifice bunt and an RBI.

Joe Menzel pitched complete-game five-hitter and had four strikeouts.