Ceres High’s and Central Valley’s first-place softball teams continued their run of dominance in Western Athletic Conference play last week.
The Bulldogs improved to 8-3-1 overall and 6-0-0 in the WAC standings after securing mercy-rule wins against Beyer and Grace Davis.
“The girls were focused,” head coach Marcos Duran said.
Host Ceres High bested previously-unbeaten Beyer 16-1 in five innings on April 1.
The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to six games.
“We put everything together and that was the result,” Duran said.
The Bulldogs posted a team batting average of .500 versus the Patriots.
Gabby Cole finished 3-for-4 with one RBI and four runs.
Lizzie Figueroa finished 3-for-4 with one double, three RBIs and one run.
Sophia Alcarez finished 1-for-1 with one RBI and three runs.
Bella Bravo finished 1-for-4 with one double, two RBIs and one run.
Sami Alcarez finished 1-for-2 with one RBI and two runs.
Presley Vierra finished 1-for-3 with one RBI and two runs.
Briona Bravo finished 2-for-4 with one double, one RBI and one run.
The Bulldogs took control by building an 8-0 lead in the first inning.
“That helped,” Duran said.
Sami Alcarez was the winning pitcher.
She totaled 12 strikeouts in five innings.
She allowed no earned runs and no hits.
Ceres High topped Grace Davis 18-0 in five innings on March 30.
“Everybody was ready to play,” Duran said.
The Bulldogs posted a team batting of .556 versus the Spartans.
Amaia Pritchett collected one RBI, three runs and two walks.
Figueroa finished 2-for-3 with one double, four RBIs and two runs.
Bella Bravo finished 2-for-3 with one double, three RBIs and two runs.
Vierra finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs.
Figueroa was the winning pitcher.
She gave up no runs and four hits with nine strikeouts and no walks in five innings.
Ceres High has outscored its league opponents, 79-3.
“I’m very happy with the way the girls have been playing,” Duran said. “We’ve been jumping on teams early. The offense is getting the job done.”
The Hawks improved to 7-6 overall and 5-0 in league play after earning mercy-rule victories against Lathrop and Johansen.
“Everything was clicking for us,” head coach Jimmy Bates said.
Central Valley rolled to an 11-1 win over host Lathrop in five innings on April 1.
The Hawks posted a team batting average of .533 versus the Spartans.
Gabriela Delatorre finished 3-for-3 with one double, five RBIs and two runs.
Reylena Herrera finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs.
Selah Chesney finished 3-for-4 with one triple and four runs.
Brooklynn Steeley finished 3-for-4 with one double and two RBIs.
“We put pressure on their defense,” Bates said.
Steeley was the winning pitcher.
She yielded no earned runs and four hits with five strikeouts and no walks in five innings.
Central Valley piled up 14 hits on its way to shutting out Johansen 25-0 on March 30 in Modesto.
Bates emptied his bench after watching his team score 18 runs in the second inning.
“It’s always nice when everybody gets playing time,” he said.
The Hawks posted a team batting average of .483 with 12 walks and 11 stolen bases.
Steeley batted 2-for-2 with one home run, one double, five RBIs and three runs.
Delatorre batted 2-for-4 with one double, three RBIs and three runs.
Madelyn Morales finished 1-for-4 with one double, three RBIs and three runs.
Jaren Bass finished 1-for-1 with four runs.
Delatorre was the winning pitcher.
She surrendered no runs and two hits with three strikeouts and one walk in three innings.
Central Valley has outscored its conference opponents, 84-5.
The Hawks have won their last four games.
“Offensively, we’re being super competitive,” Bates said. “We’re making early adjustments at the plate. Our pitching has been great.”
