Coach Mike Corsaut made a pledge to his players. He vowed to shave his head if the Ceres High varsity softball team won the Modesto Metro Conference championship.
Corsaut kept his promise. He had his hair cut before Thursday's practice. The Bulldogs claimed the MMC title outright with a 7-0 win over Beyer on Wednesday in Modesto.
"That's all I wanted for my birthday," said Corsaut, who turned 40, the day his team captured the inaugural MMC crown.
Ceres improved to 20-4-1 overall, 12-2 in the league standings. The Bulldogs have won 10 straight games since losing 2-1 to Grace Davis on April 13.
"I always believed in them," Corsaut said. "I know how good they are. And how good they can be."
Everyone contributed against Beyer.
Jennifer Arnold pitched a no-hitter. The junior had four strikeouts. She carried a perfect game into the fifth inning.
Heidi Eisenbeis' game-ending, diving catch in center field preserved Arnold's no-hitter.
"The defense stepped up," Corsaut said.
Ceres' offense didn't do too bad either. The Bulldogs scored seven runs on nine hits.
Arnold went 2-for-3 with a triple, single, two runs and three RBI. Monica Hall went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Jessica Hunter singled and drove in two runs. went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Jordan Nash singled, scored once, walked twice and drove in a run. Eisenbeis, Heather Russell and Heather Silva all had one hit.
"That was championship-caliber softball," Corsaut said.
"That's the way we're capable of playing."
Ceres scored twice in the top of the first inning.
Hall walked and scored on Arnold's triple. Arnold scored on an error.
The Bulldogs scored five runs in the fifth inning.
Franksen reached first on an error, moved to second on the blunder and scored on Hall's RBI single.
Hall went to third on Eisenbeis' hit and scored on Arnold's single to right-center.
Following a Russell popout, Nash drove in Eisenbeis with a single to right-center. Nash stole second and Kristen Ghimenti reached base on an error by Beyer's second baseman.
Nash and Ghimenti scored from third and second, respectively, on Hunter's line-drive single to right field.
The Bulldogs won their final game of the season.
Arnold scattered four hits, struck out 10 and walked none to lead Ceres High past Downey, 4-1, on Friday in Ceres.
Russell had a two-run triple in the sixth inning. She scored on the play when the relay from left was bobbled.
Ceres, the MMC's No. 1 seed, will face Golden Valley, the Central California Conference's No. 2 seed, in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs on Saturday at the Sacramento Softball Complex. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff reporter of the Ceres (Calif.) Courier
Corsaut kept his promise. He had his hair cut before Thursday's practice. The Bulldogs claimed the MMC title outright with a 7-0 win over Beyer on Wednesday in Modesto.
"That's all I wanted for my birthday," said Corsaut, who turned 40, the day his team captured the inaugural MMC crown.
Ceres improved to 20-4-1 overall, 12-2 in the league standings. The Bulldogs have won 10 straight games since losing 2-1 to Grace Davis on April 13.
"I always believed in them," Corsaut said. "I know how good they are. And how good they can be."
Everyone contributed against Beyer.
Jennifer Arnold pitched a no-hitter. The junior had four strikeouts. She carried a perfect game into the fifth inning.
Heidi Eisenbeis' game-ending, diving catch in center field preserved Arnold's no-hitter.
"The defense stepped up," Corsaut said.
Ceres' offense didn't do too bad either. The Bulldogs scored seven runs on nine hits.
Arnold went 2-for-3 with a triple, single, two runs and three RBI. Monica Hall went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Jessica Hunter singled and drove in two runs. went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Jordan Nash singled, scored once, walked twice and drove in a run. Eisenbeis, Heather Russell and Heather Silva all had one hit.
"That was championship-caliber softball," Corsaut said.
"That's the way we're capable of playing."
Ceres scored twice in the top of the first inning.
Hall walked and scored on Arnold's triple. Arnold scored on an error.
The Bulldogs scored five runs in the fifth inning.
Franksen reached first on an error, moved to second on the blunder and scored on Hall's RBI single.
Hall went to third on Eisenbeis' hit and scored on Arnold's single to right-center.
Following a Russell popout, Nash drove in Eisenbeis with a single to right-center. Nash stole second and Kristen Ghimenti reached base on an error by Beyer's second baseman.
Nash and Ghimenti scored from third and second, respectively, on Hunter's line-drive single to right field.
The Bulldogs won their final game of the season.
Arnold scattered four hits, struck out 10 and walked none to lead Ceres High past Downey, 4-1, on Friday in Ceres.
Russell had a two-run triple in the sixth inning. She scored on the play when the relay from left was bobbled.
Ceres, the MMC's No. 1 seed, will face Golden Valley, the Central California Conference's No. 2 seed, in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs on Saturday at the Sacramento Softball Complex. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff reporter of the Ceres (Calif.) Courier
