The last day of the Valley Oak League campaign is on Friday, and the VOL post-season participants will not be determined until then.
As a result of Manteca’s 16-3 five-inning mercy-rule loss to visiting league champion Central Catholic on Wednesday, the Buffaloes find themselves one game ahead of East Union for the fourth and final VOL playoff slot. Should Manteca and the Lancers end in a tie, East Union will advance due to taking the season series with the Buffaloes.
The first two innings Wednesday were catastrophic for Manteca (7-7 VOL, 15-10 overall). The Raiders (11-3, 15-7-1) sent 22 players to the plate in those first two frames with the big hits being a pair of two-run home runs by Braxton Thomas and T.P. Wentworth (3 for 3, home run, three RBI, four runs) in the second inning on the way to a 13-2 second-inning lead.
“It’s all about momentum,” Buffaloes coach Mark Ruiz said. “We gave them the momentum in the first inning with walks, two or three errors and some hits. They capitalized on it.”
Manteca handled Central Catholic 15-3 on Monday.
“Monday and today were two total ends of the spectrum,” Ruiz said. “We had a great start on Monday and a rough one today, but we will get back at it Friday.”
Alex Murrietta had one of three hits for the Buffaloes with an RBI double in the first inning that scored Chris Chavez.
“I have known (Raiders pitcher) T.P. (Wentworth) for many years,” Murrietta said. “I know he’s a really good pitcher and he was working his spots.
“Thankfully, I was able to see it and I was able to pull the ball and do my job.”
Wentworth went the abbreviated distance for Central Catholic, limiting Manteca to three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.
“We took it on the chin on Monday,” Raiders coach Danny Ayala said. “They came out ready to play and scored a lot of runs early. We banged back but we left some guys on so the score didn’t tell the full story. But then we come out today with a guy like T.P. (Wentworth) on the mound there is a lot of confidence out there. He has been doing it all year and the boys have been doing it behind him.”
Central Catholic enters Friday’s game with the top seed in the VOL secured, but the Raiders have their eyes on playoff seeding.
“Our boys have a lot of confidence,” Ayala said. “They have worked really hard and they had big goals for the year coming in, and Friday is a game where we will be taking steps toward our goals. It’s another game but we play hard pitch to pitch. Whatever guys are in there we are still getting ready for a playoff run. Knowing we are there is great, we have been there before and we have made the run, these guys are experienced for it and understand that everyone has to be ready to go at all times.”
Central Catholic and Manteca wrap up the VOL schedule Friday in Modesto at 4 p.m.
