STOCKTON — After a tight five innings Monday night in Division 6 consolation action the wheels came off the Spreckels Park wagon in the sixth as Delta-Sunrise tallied nine runs in the bottom of the frame to end the contest via the mercy rule 16-6 at Paul Weston Park.
“These boys had a heck of a year, and they are a great group,” Spreckels Park coach Casey O’Neill said. “I tried to make it so we would have something left at the end, but it just didn’t work out.
“Some days you have it, and some you don’t, and today was not the day for us.”
Trailing 7-5 in the top of the fifth, Ruben Cedano laced a bases-loaded single to score Evan Zeiher (RBI, two runs) and leave the bases loaded with one out. With that, Delta-Sunrise brought in their sixth pitcher of the game in Mason Zucusta, who promptly notched a pair of strikeouts and Spreckels Park would not bat again.
Spreckels Park’s big inning was the third. Aiden Loveall singled in Aaron Aguilar, Zeiher reached on a fielder’s choice and plated Joseph Rodriguez (2 for 2, RBI, run) and Zeiher scooted home on a wild pitch to tie the score at 3-3. Aguilar scored on an error in the fourth to give Spreckels Park a 4-3 lead and Rodriguez blooped a single into shallow right field in the fifth, scoring Bennie O’Neill to tie the game at 5-5.
Calil Perez had the big bat for Delta-Sunrise, going 2 for three with four RBI, a run and a ground-rule double.
Majors
Ripon 12, Weston Ranch 4
SALIDA – A two-run home run by Tanner Haveman gave Ripon a one-run lead and Ripon never looked back Monday in a win over Weston Ranch in consolation action of the District 67 Majors Championships at Salida Park. Ripon advances to the consolation semifinal tonight at 6 against tournament host Salida.
Base hits by Isaiah Sonke (two hits) and Elijah Booher (two RBI) coupled with a Weston Ranch error helped Ripon extend its lead in the third inning. Ripon exploded for five runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth with a passed ball scoring two runs, Dominic Nevarez knocking in a run and Booher drawing a bases-loaded walk.
Blake Nieuwsma started on the mound for Ripon, giving up one earned run over 3.1 innings, striking out eight and walking none. Booher pitched one inning of shutout relief, allowing no hits, striking out one and walking none.
Minors
Ripon 12, Salida 2
Ripon’s Jack Painter was 3 for 4 with a double on Monday as part of a 13-hit Ripon parade in championship-round action, forcing a winner-take-all contest between these two teams at 5:30 this afternoon at Brock Elliott School.
Painter started on the mound for Ripon, allowing four hits with one earned run over four innings, striking out seven and walking one. Zach Reynolds tossed the final two innings for Ripon, allowing no runs, no hits, striking out one and walking two.
Austin Gutierrez and Reynolds each drove in a pair of runs with teammates Titus De La Torre and Andrew Alaniz each notching multiple hits. Ripon did not commit an error.
Ripon 4, Tracy 3
Following a single by Reynolds, River Kontos belted an RBI single for the walk-off Ripon win on Sunday.
Kontos was 3 for 3 and started on the mound, striking out seven, walking one, allowing seven hits and two earned runs over five innings. De La Torre came on in relief and pitched one scoreless inning, striking out one with one hit and one walk.
Salida 2, Ripon 1
Ripon got knocked into the consolation bracket Friday despite outhitting Salida 5-2.
Kontos tallied two hits for Ripon and Painter knocked in a run.
Painter came on in relief and pitched three shutout innings, allowing no hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Greyson Campbell was the starting pitcher, allowing two hits and one earned run, striking out four and walking one.
