RIPON — Two-out errors can be costly, and Hughson found that out the hard way Thursday.
Ripon entered the bottom of the third trailing the Huskies by a run and the first two Indians went down in order.
Then leadoff batter Jack Mayer reached on an infield error, bringing Angelo Baciocco to the plate.
Baciocco hammered a triple to the right-center gap and he was followed by Nick Price who did the same thing, giving host Ripon a one-run lead. The Indians exploded for nine runs in the fourth inning and went on to an 11-1 five-inning mercy rule win in Trans-Valley League action. With this win they swept reigning league champion Hughson, a team which they had not beaten since 2013.
“Price and Baciocco have really good power to the gaps,” Ripon coach Jon Manrique said. “Baciocco ripped his and then the second one by Price was almost in the same spot. When you have power in the 2-3 hole – ours in normally in the 3-4, but today was the 2-3 – it really helps our ball club.”
The Indians (2-0 TVL, 8-2 overall) had just 10 players in uniform and fell behind 1-0 in the first inning behind an error and a pair of infield hits.
“We came into the game down one of our guys already,” Manrique said. “Since we didn’t have much on the bench we knew we were going to be playing a straight nine.
“Early on they had a couple of errors and a couple of infield singles to get a lead on us right off the bat. We haven’t been starting the best – it seems like the boys have to go once through the lineup. Other than that first inning our defense played well.”
Luke Petker went all five innings on the hill for Ripon, striking out three and retiring the last nine batters he faced.
“Petker pitched a heck of a game. He was moving the ball around pretty well, they couldn’t seem to get a really good piece on him – he induced a lot of ground balls.”
Nonleague
Sierra 7, Atwater 0
Jacob Peterson struck out four and walked two in a combined three-hitter, as relievers Jesse Babauta and Steven Rios each threw a perfect inning to close it out.
The Timberwolves (5-3) needed just five hits to get the win and capitalized on three errors from Atwater. Peterson and Rios each drove in a run, as did Tanner Peterson.
Freshman
East Union 11,
Central Catholic 3
Andrew Mount went six innings to help lead the Lancers past Central Catholic on Thursday.
Mount allowed two hits and fanned nine in claiming the win. Sammy Nieves struck out the side in the seventh.
In addition, Mount went 2 for 2 at the plate with a pair of RBI.
Asiah Scott, Evan Heath and Anthony Contreras also had two hits each for East Union.
