River Islands’ baseball team slipped out of a first-way tie for first place in the Central California Athletic Alliance after splitting a doubleheader with Holt Academy at Billy Hebert Stadium.

The host Bobcats took the opener 13-6, but the River Islands escaped with the split after rallying for all of its runs in the final two innings of a 3-1 victory.

The Riptide (4-2, 12-7 overall) are now a game behind Turlock Christian.

Holt Academy (4-4, 16-10) outhit the visitors 15-8 in game 1 and took advantage of six errors that led to nine unearned runs. Colton Berry (three runs, two RBIs), Armando Flores (three runs, RBI) and Mykal Cerna (three runs, RBI) all went 3 for 4 for the Bobcats.

George Dayeh knocked in two of River Islands’ runs, while Daryl Carpenter (run) and Cash Orndoff (double, run) were both 2 for 4.

The nightcap was more of a pitcher’s duel, and the game was scoreless through five innings. River Islands broke through with a run in the top of the sixth and two more in the seventh. Holt answered with one in the bottom of the seventh, but its comeback came up short.

The Riptide cap regular-season play next week against Millennium. The two-game set begins Monday in Tracy.

Ripon 5, Escalon 0

A five-run outburst in the top of the fifth inning was all the visiting Indians (7-3, 15-9 overall) needed to win a fifth straight and complete the sweep against their Trans Valley League rival.

Jack Peters powered the rally with a two-run hit. Fabian Nuno (doubled) and Hunter Weber drove in one apiece, and Brayden McDowell added a sacrifice fly.

Nuno went the distance from the pitcher’s mound, giving up seven hits and four walks in the shutout. He also fired six strikeouts.

Escalon (6-4, 16-8) was led by Dylan Ball (2 for 3, double) and pitcher Brody Abbott (5 2/3 innings, eight hits, five runs, two walks, seven strikeouts).

Second-place Ripon ends the TVL schedule next week against Hilmar, which visits on Tuesday for game 1 of the two-game set.

Oakdale 7, Sierra 2

Josh Graves clubbed a solo homer and drove in Jayden Pimentel for another RBI, but that was all the offense Sierra (4-14, 11-17 overall) could muster in the Valley Oak League finale at Jack Thomson Stadium.

Oakdale (11-7, 18-9) totaled 11 hits including a homer from Chance Ravalin (2 for 4, two runs, two RBIs) and a triple from Peyton Wallace (2 for 3, run, RBI). Kane Gray contributed three hits.