To fully understand just how good both East Union starter Marshall Swift and Weston Ranch starter Chris Fleckenstein were in the Lancers’ 10-0 win over the Cougars Thursday at Agostini Field, consider this: It took just one hour and three minutes to complete the first five and a half innings.
Unfortunately for Fleckenstein (2 K’s), who battled through four critical Weston Ranch fielding errors, the bottom of the sixth lasted 35 minutes and featured eight East Union runs that ended the contest an inning early.
“The score is in no way indicative of how the game went,” EU skipper Dan Triglia said. “It was a very close game. Weston Ranch played very well and Fleckenstein controlled the game until we got to him late.”
Swift was phenomenal in the victory, needing just 75 pitches to complete a one-hit shutout.
Both Swift and Fleckenstein faced the minimum through two on 19 pitches and both battled out of jams in the third.
Swift (6 K’s) faced a bases-loaded situation with one out in the fourth before ringing up Christian Vasquez on three straight hooks and getting J.R. Williams to ground out.
“I felt like I kept the ball down pretty well today and got some groundballs,” Swift said. “Got some bad breaks here and there, but fought through it. The defense made the plays they had to.”
Swift was the catalyst at the dish for the Lancers as well as he led off the fourth with a single and came around to third before scoring on Wade Morten’s RBI groundout.
An inning later, Joe Modesto drilled an RBI single scoring John Ott (doubled) to make it 2-0.
Swift singled and scored to lead off the eight-run sixth and hit a two-run single to score both Frank Bailey and Steve Weddington to end the game.
“Fleckenstein was throwing a really good game,” Swift said. “My first hit was with two strikes, so I was just looking to put something in play and make something happen.”
The Lancers had eight knocks in the frame, all singles, and three of the two-run variety.
“Chris did a great job,” Weston Ranch head coach Dave Smith said. “Every time he goes out onto the mound he competes. That’s the type of outing, with the exception of the sixth, that he’s capable of as long as we play defense behind him.
“Marshall did a nice job mixing up his pitches. He did a great job of getting his off-speed over for strikes. He had us off-balance all day. Credit goes to East Union, that’s a good ball club.”
Weston Ranch (0-8 Valley Oak League, 2-12) takes on Central Valley next week, while the Lancers (4-4 VOL, 9-7) open a pivotal series with Sonora.
“It’s going to take everything we have (to be successful against Sonora),” Swift said. “Defense, offense, mental preparedness. Sonora is a very good team, and we can’t make mistakes.”
To contact Brandon Petersen, e-mail bpetersen@mantecabulletin.com, or call (209) 249-3543.
Unfortunately for Fleckenstein (2 K’s), who battled through four critical Weston Ranch fielding errors, the bottom of the sixth lasted 35 minutes and featured eight East Union runs that ended the contest an inning early.
“The score is in no way indicative of how the game went,” EU skipper Dan Triglia said. “It was a very close game. Weston Ranch played very well and Fleckenstein controlled the game until we got to him late.”
Swift was phenomenal in the victory, needing just 75 pitches to complete a one-hit shutout.
Both Swift and Fleckenstein faced the minimum through two on 19 pitches and both battled out of jams in the third.
Swift (6 K’s) faced a bases-loaded situation with one out in the fourth before ringing up Christian Vasquez on three straight hooks and getting J.R. Williams to ground out.
“I felt like I kept the ball down pretty well today and got some groundballs,” Swift said. “Got some bad breaks here and there, but fought through it. The defense made the plays they had to.”
Swift was the catalyst at the dish for the Lancers as well as he led off the fourth with a single and came around to third before scoring on Wade Morten’s RBI groundout.
An inning later, Joe Modesto drilled an RBI single scoring John Ott (doubled) to make it 2-0.
Swift singled and scored to lead off the eight-run sixth and hit a two-run single to score both Frank Bailey and Steve Weddington to end the game.
“Fleckenstein was throwing a really good game,” Swift said. “My first hit was with two strikes, so I was just looking to put something in play and make something happen.”
The Lancers had eight knocks in the frame, all singles, and three of the two-run variety.
“Chris did a great job,” Weston Ranch head coach Dave Smith said. “Every time he goes out onto the mound he competes. That’s the type of outing, with the exception of the sixth, that he’s capable of as long as we play defense behind him.
“Marshall did a nice job mixing up his pitches. He did a great job of getting his off-speed over for strikes. He had us off-balance all day. Credit goes to East Union, that’s a good ball club.”
Weston Ranch (0-8 Valley Oak League, 2-12) takes on Central Valley next week, while the Lancers (4-4 VOL, 9-7) open a pivotal series with Sonora.
“It’s going to take everything we have (to be successful against Sonora),” Swift said. “Defense, offense, mental preparedness. Sonora is a very good team, and we can’t make mistakes.”
To contact Brandon Petersen, e-mail bpetersen@mantecabulletin.com, or call (209) 249-3543.
