Kharime Caratachea pitched her second perfect game of the season Wednesday, only this time it went the full seven innings.
Ripon’s San Francisco State-bound ace struck out 15 of the 21 batters she faced, as the Indians routed visiting Hughson, 8-0. Caratachea previously had a mercy-shortened perfect game in a non-league win against Tokay.
She helped her cause at the plate with an RBI single. Ripon (6-0, 12-4 overall), which maintains its two-game lead atop the Trans-Valley League, scored in every inning except for the fourth.
Izabelle Spurzem was 2 for 2 with two walks, three runs and two RBIs. Addison Naranjo also drove in a pair of runs. Ava Hernandez contributed a bases-loaded walk.
Freshman Kylie Tangey pitched four innings for Hughson (1-5, 7-10), finishing with six strikeouts.
Ripon welcomes second-place Livingston on Friday.
Lathrop 5, Grace Davis 0
Ariana Fuentes shined on Lathrop’s senior night, firing 14 strikeouts in a two-hit gem. She’s one of just three seniors on the team. Fellow senior Madilynn Romero contributed a run.
The underclassmen also left their mark. Freshman Ja’Leiyah Ray crushed a two-run homer, and Kendall Stewart went 3 for 3 with a run and two RBIs. Maci DeCosta went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.
The Spartans (7-4 Western Athletic Conference, 12-6 overall) end the regular season with three straight road games starting next Tuesday at Johansen.
BASEBALL
East Union 5, Kimball 3
Kimball (0-11, 2-21 overall) stayed within reach of its first Valley Oak League win of the season after Jaden Ramirez tagged a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning, but freshman Peyton Heath was able to keep East Union’s lead.
Heath was perfect from the mound in the final 2 2/3 innings, striking out three en route to locking down the save. Winning pitcher Blake Mount struck out six in the first 4 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and a walk. Mount also had two RBIs at the plate.
Jackson Fay went 2 for 3 with two runs and two steals for the Lancers (6-7, 14-10), who are a win away from securing a Sac-Joaquin Section playoff bid. They round out the three-game set with Kimball at home Friday and head to Manteca next Monday for a make-up game.
Central Catholic 7, Manteca 6 (8)
Playoff-bound Manteca (8-5, 18-6-1 overall) was knocked out of contention for the VOL championship.
The visiting Buffaloes jumped out to a four-run lead in the first inning and took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth. Central Catholic (7-4, 13-7) rallied for three runs in the home half of the fifth before walking it off in the eighth.
Rex Watson had the strongest outing of the four pitchers used by Manteca but was charged with the loss. He threw the final 2 2/3 innings, giving up three hits to go with two strikeouts. The San Diego signee also led the offense, going 3 for 4 with a run and a steal.
Jace Quitasol was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Noah Navarro drove in two runs.
Mountain House 4, Lathrop 0
Riley Higgins pitched a two-hit shutout for WAC co-leading Mountain House (9-2, 15-8 overall).
Mathew Rankin and Carson Scott accounted for host Lathrop’s only hits. The Spartans (4-7, 9-13) got a strong pitching effort from Adrian Zuniga, who gave up two runs (one unearned) on six hits and two walks over six innings. He also had four strikeouts.
Ripon Christian 22, Waterford 1 (5)
The visiting Knights (9-2, 16-8 overall) amassed 11 runs in the second inning of the Southern Athletic League blowout.
Luke Crivello was the two-way standout, as he went 4 for 4 with two runs and three RBIs at the plate, while racking up 13 strikeouts in the mercy-shortened two-hitter.
David Koolhaas and Joshua Buffalow (double) knocked in three runs apiece. Kayden Anderson and Grant Sonke each added two hits and three runs.
