TRACY — Travis Thomson said no lead is safe in the Valley Oak League after his Sierra baseball team 10-runned Kimball on Wednesday.
Prophetic words from the first-year head coach.
In the series finale Friday, the Timberwolves squandered a four-run lead and needed a pinch-hit, two-out single from Steven Eaves to squeak out a 6-5 victory in eight innings and secure a significant series sweep.
Sophomore Zion Bell pitched a perfect eighth for the save, and he earlier came through for a bases-clearing triple during a four-run rally in the fourth. Winning pitcher Jacob Frisk logged 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, striking out three. Slyder Blyth got the start, surrendering five runs in 4 2/3.
“Pitchers did a good job today overall,” Thomson said. “Kimball is a good offensive team and they were balanced at the plate. Those guys are tough to get out and I think our pitchers did a good job throwing to contact and letting the defense work behind them.”
Jesse Ortiz-Martinez reached base four times for Sierra (6-0, 14-3-1 overall), getting two hits and two walks.
Clutch situations are nothing new for the T’wolves. Their first four wins in league — two each against Central Catholic and reigning champion Oakdale — were decided by a total of five runs. Kimball dropped to 3-3 in the VOL and 10-5 overall.
“The boys did a good job battling today against Kimball,” Thomson said. “We went from having a 5-1 lead to a tie game very quickly in the fifth inning, but our guys kept battling and kept putting together quality at-bats. Proud of the fight they had in them today. Now we focus on Manteca High next week.”
 
SOFTBALL
Ripon Christian 12, Mariposa 8
MARIPOSA — Ripon Christian (10-1, 14-3 overall) survived a scare against the defending Southern League champion Grizzlies (4-4, 8-7), breaking away from a 5-5 tie with seven-run rally in the top of the sixth inning.
The Knights racked up 15 hits while Mariposa amassed 13. Playing in her third game of the season since recovering from shoulder surgery, Nicole Chapman went 2 for 5 and had an RBI.
Madison de Graaf finished 4 for 5 with two doubles and two runs. Sarah Brown drove in three runs and contributed two base hits. Morgan Van Elderen also had two hits.

Pacheco 14, Lathrop 11
LATHROP — The Spartans (0-8 Western Athletic Conference, 2-13 overall) led 8-4 after three innings, but Pacheco (5-2, 13-6) answered with a six-run barrage in the fifth to take the lead for good.
Cienna Duenuez drove in four runs and hit a double for Lathrop. Emma Grisham plated three runs and belted a pair of hits. Alina Fuentes, Isabel Terra and Karina Lopez also had two hits apiece.