Ceres High baseball coach Tim Williams thought his team could use the 35th Annual Dick Windemuth Easter Baseball Tournament as a springboard into the second half of the season. The Bulldogs entered the week with three wins and 11 losses.
Ceres didn't respond as it finished last in its bracket with an 0-4 record. The Bulldogs were outscored 12-1 in tournament play.
"We haven't been able to get hits with runners in scoring position," Williams said. "And we're still making timely errors."
Ceres lost to Downey Wednesday evening, Fallon of Nevada Wednesday afternoon, Davis on Tuesday, April 13 and Oakdale on Monday, April 12.
The Bulldogs extended their losing streak to 10 and fell to 3-15 overall.
"The kids are practicing and playing hard," Williams said. "We're just not getting it done.
"It's been a while since we've won."
Ceres' last win came on March 19.
The Bulldogs have been outscored 53-13 during their losing steak.
Downey 2, Ceres 0
Will Brown pitched a no-hitter for the Knights, who improved to 10-8 overall. The southpaw had 12 strikeouts and four walks in seven innings. He fanned six of the first eight batters he faced.
"He kept the hitters off balance with three pitches," said Downey coach Noey De La Rosa.
Mike Arnold had three strikeouts in six innings for the Bulldogs. The Knights scored two unearned runs on five hits, one walk and three Ceres errors.
Downey took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
George Santiago singled to right field, moved to second on Brent Wolfe's base-hit bunt and scored on an error. Ceres catcher Brian Borges attempted to pickoff Santiago at second base. His throw sailed into center field.
The Knights scored their second run in the fourth inning.
Kole Oliveira singled to left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brown, Downey's No. 5 hitter, reached first on an error. His grounder got past Ceres second baseman Kevin Goblirsch. Oliveira scored on the blunder.
Fallon 2, Ceres 0
J.P. Tye pitched a complete game for Fallon (8-14). He had six strikeouts in seven innings. He didn't allow a hit in the final five innings.
Bulldog pitcher Derrick Goblirsch was just as impressive. He stayed in the game even though he was drilled on top of his knee by a line drive in the first inning.
Goblirsch gave up two unearned runs and had seven strikeouts and six walks in five innings.
Fallon scored one run in the top of the fourth inning and one in the fifth.
Chad Fiske walked and moved to second on Chester Slonecker's grounder to third. Ceres infielder Brad Simmons tried to turn a double play but didn't get the ball out of his glove in a timely fashion. His hurried throw to Arnold at second was low. Arnold dropped the ball as he applied the tag on Fiske.
Fiske and Slonecker advanced to third and second, respectively, on Andrew Kamps sacrifice bunt. Fiske scored on Ceres catcher Cole Stanhope's failed pickoff attempt at third. Stanhope's throw went into left field.
Fallon loaded the bases in the fifth inning. Matt Timmons scored from third on Fiske's walk.
Davis 3, Ceres 1
Ceres pitcher Chad Leazer had a stellar outing against the Spartans but he didn't get any help from his teammates on offense and defense. Leazer gave up three runs, all unearned, on three hits in six innings. He had three strikeouts.
The Bulldogs went 2-for-9 from the plate with runners in scoring position. Ceres also struck out eight times.
"We had bases loaded with one out in the seventh and we couldn't score," Williams said. "We didn't get the big hit."
Davis scored once in the third inning and twice in the sixth.
Ceres scored its lone run in the third inning.
Derrick Goblirsch doubled to the left-center field gap and scored on Josh Ahart's single to left-center.
Mike Olson pitched for the Spartans. He gave up just three hits, including one to Borges, Ahart and Goblirsch.
Oakdale 5, Ceres 0
Hector Reyes gave up five runs, one earned, on eight hits and five hit batsmen in five innings for the Bulldogs. He had six strikeouts.
Mustang pitcher Daniel Brodie struck out six batters and allowed just three hits, including a double to Stanhope and singles to Borges and Derrick Goblirsch.
Oakdale scored one run in the bottom of the third inning, one in the fourth and three in the fifth.
The Mustangs had eight hits and committed just one error in the game.
The Bulldogs collected just three hits and committed two errors.
Ceres' Nick Eudy gave up no hits and had one strikeout and a walk in one inning of relief.
The round-robin tournament featured 10 teams, including two fields of five. Ceres, Davis, Oakdale, Fallon and Downey played at Downey High School. Johansen, Beyer, Modesto, Wooster of Reno and Quincy of the Northern Section played at Beyer High School.
The top team from each of the two brackets played for the tournament championship Thursday afternoon in Modesto. Host Beyer beat Oakdale 12-4.
- By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier
Ceres didn't respond as it finished last in its bracket with an 0-4 record. The Bulldogs were outscored 12-1 in tournament play.
"We haven't been able to get hits with runners in scoring position," Williams said. "And we're still making timely errors."
Ceres lost to Downey Wednesday evening, Fallon of Nevada Wednesday afternoon, Davis on Tuesday, April 13 and Oakdale on Monday, April 12.
The Bulldogs extended their losing streak to 10 and fell to 3-15 overall.
"The kids are practicing and playing hard," Williams said. "We're just not getting it done.
"It's been a while since we've won."
Ceres' last win came on March 19.
The Bulldogs have been outscored 53-13 during their losing steak.
Downey 2, Ceres 0
Will Brown pitched a no-hitter for the Knights, who improved to 10-8 overall. The southpaw had 12 strikeouts and four walks in seven innings. He fanned six of the first eight batters he faced.
"He kept the hitters off balance with three pitches," said Downey coach Noey De La Rosa.
Mike Arnold had three strikeouts in six innings for the Bulldogs. The Knights scored two unearned runs on five hits, one walk and three Ceres errors.
Downey took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
George Santiago singled to right field, moved to second on Brent Wolfe's base-hit bunt and scored on an error. Ceres catcher Brian Borges attempted to pickoff Santiago at second base. His throw sailed into center field.
The Knights scored their second run in the fourth inning.
Kole Oliveira singled to left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brown, Downey's No. 5 hitter, reached first on an error. His grounder got past Ceres second baseman Kevin Goblirsch. Oliveira scored on the blunder.
Fallon 2, Ceres 0
J.P. Tye pitched a complete game for Fallon (8-14). He had six strikeouts in seven innings. He didn't allow a hit in the final five innings.
Bulldog pitcher Derrick Goblirsch was just as impressive. He stayed in the game even though he was drilled on top of his knee by a line drive in the first inning.
Goblirsch gave up two unearned runs and had seven strikeouts and six walks in five innings.
Fallon scored one run in the top of the fourth inning and one in the fifth.
Chad Fiske walked and moved to second on Chester Slonecker's grounder to third. Ceres infielder Brad Simmons tried to turn a double play but didn't get the ball out of his glove in a timely fashion. His hurried throw to Arnold at second was low. Arnold dropped the ball as he applied the tag on Fiske.
Fiske and Slonecker advanced to third and second, respectively, on Andrew Kamps sacrifice bunt. Fiske scored on Ceres catcher Cole Stanhope's failed pickoff attempt at third. Stanhope's throw went into left field.
Fallon loaded the bases in the fifth inning. Matt Timmons scored from third on Fiske's walk.
Davis 3, Ceres 1
Ceres pitcher Chad Leazer had a stellar outing against the Spartans but he didn't get any help from his teammates on offense and defense. Leazer gave up three runs, all unearned, on three hits in six innings. He had three strikeouts.
The Bulldogs went 2-for-9 from the plate with runners in scoring position. Ceres also struck out eight times.
"We had bases loaded with one out in the seventh and we couldn't score," Williams said. "We didn't get the big hit."
Davis scored once in the third inning and twice in the sixth.
Ceres scored its lone run in the third inning.
Derrick Goblirsch doubled to the left-center field gap and scored on Josh Ahart's single to left-center.
Mike Olson pitched for the Spartans. He gave up just three hits, including one to Borges, Ahart and Goblirsch.
Oakdale 5, Ceres 0
Hector Reyes gave up five runs, one earned, on eight hits and five hit batsmen in five innings for the Bulldogs. He had six strikeouts.
Mustang pitcher Daniel Brodie struck out six batters and allowed just three hits, including a double to Stanhope and singles to Borges and Derrick Goblirsch.
Oakdale scored one run in the bottom of the third inning, one in the fourth and three in the fifth.
The Mustangs had eight hits and committed just one error in the game.
The Bulldogs collected just three hits and committed two errors.
Ceres' Nick Eudy gave up no hits and had one strikeout and a walk in one inning of relief.
The round-robin tournament featured 10 teams, including two fields of five. Ceres, Davis, Oakdale, Fallon and Downey played at Downey High School. Johansen, Beyer, Modesto, Wooster of Reno and Quincy of the Northern Section played at Beyer High School.
The top team from each of the two brackets played for the tournament championship Thursday afternoon in Modesto. Host Beyer beat Oakdale 12-4.
- By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier