Brian Borges hasn't had much success at the plate in league this season. The senior center fielder/catcher collected just one hit in the Ceres High varsity baseball team's first six games.
On Thursday, Borges homered and drove in a career-high four runs during the Bulldogs' 13-3 victory over Modesto High.
"I calmed down and let my hands do the work instead of trying to think too much," Borges said. "I've been putting too much pressure on myself."
With the win, Ceres improved to 3-4 in the Modesto Metro Conference standings.
The Bulldogs also kept their postseason hopes alive.
"It was a must win as far as making a move for the playoffs," said Ceres coach Tim Williams. "If we lose this, we're 2-4.
"We still have a chance."
Hector Reyes, Matt Schwark and Brandon Gresham all contributed against the Panthers.
Reyes pitched a complete game. The senior scattered six hits and struck out six batters in six innings. He got out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the bottom of the third inning. He induced a flyout and recorded a strikeout.
Schwark homered, scored two runs and had three RBI.
Gresham singled, doubled, scored twice and drove in one run.
Ceres scored first.
The Bulldogs played from behind in five of their first six games.
"We finally grabbed a lead. And the pressure was on them," Williams said.
Ceres led 8-0 heading into the fifth inning.
The Bulldogs scored four runs in the top of the first inning.
Luis Malagon reached first on an error and scored on Gresham's double to center field. Derrick Goblirsch followed with an RBI single off the left-field fence. With one out, Schwark hit In the third inning, Borges belted a three-run homer over the center-field fence.
"I was trying to get a sacrifice fly. And it kept going," Borges said.
The Bulldogs scored one run in the fourth inning.
Gresham scored on Schwark's grounder to third.
Modesto cut Ceres' lead to five with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Franky Lemmo walked and moved to third on Gerrit de Witte's double to left. Lemmo and de Witte scored on David Novak's single to center. Novak went to second on a failed pickoff attempt at first, to third on a wild pitch and scored on Kyle Miller's groundout.
The Bulldogs responded with five runs in the sixth inning.
Goblirsch reached first on an error, advanced to second and third on back-to-back walks, and scored on Tyler Tresenrider's walk. Borges drove in Reyes from third with a sacrifice fly to center. Jake Loveland and Malagon followed with RBI singles. Pinch runner Ben Hurt scored on a wild pitch.
Modesto edges Ceres
The Panthers posted a 8-7 victory over the Bulldogs on Tuesday, April 12 at Art McRae Field.
Goblirsch allowed seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits in 52/3 innings. He had six strikeouts.
Relief pitcher Jonathan Montez gave up one run on one hit with three strikeouts in 11/3 innings.
Tresenrider and Schwark accounted for four of the Bulldogs' six hits. Tresenrider singled, doubled and drove in two runs. Schwark singled twice.
Ceres almost overcame a four-run deficit in the final inning. The Bulldogs scored three times to get within one run.
Goblirsch walked, moved to second on Schwark's single and scored on Tresenrider's double. Schwark and Tresenrider scored on an error.
"We had (the game-tying runner) at third with two out and didn't score," Williams said. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff reporter of the Ceres (Calif.) Courier
On Thursday, Borges homered and drove in a career-high four runs during the Bulldogs' 13-3 victory over Modesto High.
"I calmed down and let my hands do the work instead of trying to think too much," Borges said. "I've been putting too much pressure on myself."
With the win, Ceres improved to 3-4 in the Modesto Metro Conference standings.
The Bulldogs also kept their postseason hopes alive.
"It was a must win as far as making a move for the playoffs," said Ceres coach Tim Williams. "If we lose this, we're 2-4.
"We still have a chance."
Hector Reyes, Matt Schwark and Brandon Gresham all contributed against the Panthers.
Reyes pitched a complete game. The senior scattered six hits and struck out six batters in six innings. He got out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the bottom of the third inning. He induced a flyout and recorded a strikeout.
Schwark homered, scored two runs and had three RBI.
Gresham singled, doubled, scored twice and drove in one run.
Ceres scored first.
The Bulldogs played from behind in five of their first six games.
"We finally grabbed a lead. And the pressure was on them," Williams said.
Ceres led 8-0 heading into the fifth inning.
The Bulldogs scored four runs in the top of the first inning.
Luis Malagon reached first on an error and scored on Gresham's double to center field. Derrick Goblirsch followed with an RBI single off the left-field fence. With one out, Schwark hit In the third inning, Borges belted a three-run homer over the center-field fence.
"I was trying to get a sacrifice fly. And it kept going," Borges said.
The Bulldogs scored one run in the fourth inning.
Gresham scored on Schwark's grounder to third.
Modesto cut Ceres' lead to five with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Franky Lemmo walked and moved to third on Gerrit de Witte's double to left. Lemmo and de Witte scored on David Novak's single to center. Novak went to second on a failed pickoff attempt at first, to third on a wild pitch and scored on Kyle Miller's groundout.
The Bulldogs responded with five runs in the sixth inning.
Goblirsch reached first on an error, advanced to second and third on back-to-back walks, and scored on Tyler Tresenrider's walk. Borges drove in Reyes from third with a sacrifice fly to center. Jake Loveland and Malagon followed with RBI singles. Pinch runner Ben Hurt scored on a wild pitch.
Modesto edges Ceres
The Panthers posted a 8-7 victory over the Bulldogs on Tuesday, April 12 at Art McRae Field.
Goblirsch allowed seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits in 52/3 innings. He had six strikeouts.
Relief pitcher Jonathan Montez gave up one run on one hit with three strikeouts in 11/3 innings.
Tresenrider and Schwark accounted for four of the Bulldogs' six hits. Tresenrider singled, doubled and drove in two runs. Schwark singled twice.
Ceres almost overcame a four-run deficit in the final inning. The Bulldogs scored three times to get within one run.
Goblirsch walked, moved to second on Schwark's single and scored on Tresenrider's double. Schwark and Tresenrider scored on an error.
"We had (the game-tying runner) at third with two out and didn't score," Williams said. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff reporter of the Ceres (Calif.) Courier
