Ceres High’s baseball team excelled in all phases while beating Johansen twice in Western Athletic Conference play this past week.
“We had pretty good pitching,” said Coach Clinton Goblirsch. “They (Xavier Pompa and Noel Anaya) pounded the zone. They let their defense work behind them. We also hit the ball well.”
The Bulldogs improved to 5-10 on the season and 5-1 in the Western Athletic Conference standings after topping Johansen 14-5 on Thursday in Modesto.
Ceres High lost its first nine games.
“We’ve played better overall in league,” Goblirsch said. “We’ve learned from some of the things that happened in the preseason. Our goal is to play the best we’re capable of each time we’re on the field.”
Pompa (1-3) notched his first victory of the season.
He allowed five runs and 12 hits with four strikeouts and no walks in five innings.
Anaya knocked in one run on offense.
Josh Prestridge batted 1-for-3 from the plate with three RBIs and two runs.
Reis Smith batted 2-for-4 with three runs.
Daniel Davis batted 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs.
Nick Villalobos batted 1-for-3 with one RBI and two runs.
Adrian Ontiveros batted 2-for-2 with two runs.
Jorge Gonzalez batted 1-for-2 with one double and two RBIs.
Landyn Hudson batted 1-for-3 with one triple, one RBI and one run.
Vincent Castrejon chipped in with one RBI and one run.
Brandon Garcia scored once.
Isac Cordova singled.
“We got off to a slow start and were able to put them away,” Goblirsch said.
Ceres High routed Johansen 19-3 in five innings on March 29 at Art McRae Field.
“We got off to a fast start,” Goblirsch said.
Anaya (2-1) tallied five strikeouts and one walk in four innings.
He gave up two earned runs and six hits.
Anaya batted 1-for-3 from the plate with one double, one RBI and two runs.
Pompa batted 3-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs.
Prestridge batted 4-for-5 with one double, four RBIs and two runs.
Gonzalez batted 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs.
Cordova batted 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs.
Davis batted 3-for-3 with three RBIs and one run.
Ontiveros batted 1-for-3 with three RBIs and one run.
Smith batted 2-for-3 with two runs.
Castrejon batted 2-for-4 with two runs.
Villalobos batted 1-for-1 with one run.
Hudson scored once.
Ceres High will play Pacheco twice this week.
The Bulldogs will host the Panthers tomorrow at 4 p.m.
“We want to continue to work hard and improve each time we’re on the field,” Goblirsch said.
Hawks sweep Tigers
Central Valley’s baseball team earned a much-needed two-game sweep in Central California Conference play this past week.
The Hawks improved to 7-7 overall and 3-3 in the CCC standings after winning a pair of contests versus Patterson.
The Tigers fell to 4-6 and 1-3.
“After dropping two games to El Capitan, we needed to bounce back,” Central Valley head coach Derrick Goblirsch said. “We got our bats going. We played clean defense. Both of our pitchers threw well.”
Central Valley defeated host Patterson 4-1 on Friday.
Gabrial Lopez improved his record to 3-4 on the mound.
He allowed no runs and just one hit with nine strikeouts and four walks.
Central Valley lost during Lopez’s previous two starts.
He was chomping at the bit to pitch again,” Goblirsch said. “He was ready to go.”
Hawk Ryan Estermann batted 2-for-4 from the plate with one RBI and one run.
Freshman Chris Garcia batted 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Diego Delahoya batted 1-for-2 with one run.
Roman Aguinaga batted 1-for-3 with one run.
Sophomore Caiden Whittle drove in one run.
Sophomore Edmund Stewart scored once.
Central Valley ended a two-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Patterson on Wednesday in Ceres.
Southpaw Chris Garcia (4-1) had 10 strikeouts and no walks while tossing a complete game.
He allowed no earned runs and five hits in seven innings.
“He’s going to give teams fits because he knows how to pitch,” Goblirsch said. “It’s fun to watch.”
Hawk Jake Olson batted 1-for-2 from the plate with one triple and two RBIs.
Chris Garcia and sophomore Garret Garcia both scored once.
Whittle singled.
“We’re happy with where we’re at,” Goblirsch said. “We’re in a good position. This puts us back in the mix in the middle of the pack in league. We’re going to fight for one of those playoff spots.”
Central Valley will face Merced (2-4) twice this week.
The Hawks will play at Merced today and host to the Bears on Friday.
Both games will begin at 4 p.m.
“It’s going to be a grind,” Goblirsch said. “It always is in the CCC.”
SOFTBALL
Unbeaten in Western Athletic Conference play, Ceres High’s and Los Banos’ softball teams faced off this past week.
The Tigers edged the Bulldogs 3-1 on Wednesday in Ceres.
Paige Smith’s two-run homer broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth inning and proved to be the difference in the contest.
“I knew it was going to be a tough game,” Ceres High head coach Mike Corsaut said.
The Bulldogs mustered just four hits off Smith.
Brooklyn Heffernan batted 1-for-2 with one homer, one RBI and one run.
Isabela Giraldes batted 2-for-3 with one double.
Alizae Cole singled.
“We were a little flat,” Corsaut said. “We needed more energy.”
Down 1-0, Heffernan tied the game when she belted a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning.
“We had other opportunities to score,” Corsaut said. “We didn’t get the big hit when we needed it.”
Heffernan, Ceres High’s ace pitcher, gave up just two earned runs and four hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks in seven innings.
Ceres High returned to its winning ways on Friday.
The second-place Bulldogs improved to 9-7 overall and 5-1 in the WAC standings with an 18-0 mercy-rule win at Mountain House.
Heffernan yielded just one hit with 10 strikeouts and one walk in five innings.
She batted 2-for-5 from the plate with one RBI.
Sehren Martinez batted 4-for-4 with one triple, three RBIs and four runs.
Antonia Solis batted 5-for-5 with one double, five RBIs and one run.
Ava Montesdeoca batted 4-for-5 with one double, two RBIs and four runs.
Cole batted 2-for-5 with one double, three RBIs and two runs.
Giraldes batted 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs.
Alayna DeLaTorre batted 1-for-3 with two runs.
Maddie Schultz batted 2-for-3 with one run.
Emma Johnson batted 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Tatum George batted 1-for-2 with one run.
Natalie Gomes batted 1-for-2 with one run.
CV 9, El Capitan 5
Atwater 6, CV 1
Central Valley’s softball team snapped a seven-game losing streak this past week.
The Hawks improved to 3-12 overall and 1-3 in the Central California Conference standings with a 9-5 win against the El Capitan Gauchos on Thursday in Ceres.
Janessa Godinez was the winning pitcher.
She surrendered four earned runs and 10 hits with two strikeouts and one walk in seven innings.
Godinez batted 1-for-4 from the plate with three runs.
Jannet Valencia batted 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs.
Micaela Martinez batted 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs.
Victoria Lloyd batted 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.
Priscilla Hamidat scored twice.
Central Valley lost 6-1 to Atwater on March 29.
Godinez batted 2-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Valencia collected one RBI.
Lloyd doubled.
Godinez gave up six runs and nine hits with four strikeouts and three walks in six innings.
TRACK & FIELD
Ceres High’s track and field program swept Western Athletic Conference-rival Pacheco on Thursday at Bulldog Stadium.
Ceres High’s boys team improved to 4-0 in the WAC dual standings with a 105-29 victory over the Panthers.
Bulldog Verlis Smith swept the 100, 200 and long jump.
Jaiden Boss placed first in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
Reymundo Soto placed first in the 800 and 1,600.
Fermin Esparza placed first in the pole vault, and second in the 100 and 200.
Erick Valladares Ponce placed first in the 3,200, second in the 1,600 and third in the 800.
Manny Mendoza placed first in the 400 and third in the 200.
Daniel Baker placed first in the shot put and fifth in the discus.
Miguel Rivera placed first in the discus, third in the shot put, fifth in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump.
Jacob Swanson placed second in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
Yahir Ruiz placed second in the 800.
Lebron Stallworth placed second in the high jump, third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump.
Jonathan Yepez placed second in the 400 and fourth in the 200.
Joseph Kamber placed third in the 100.
Faiva Tuakalau placed third in the discus and fourth in the shot put.
Dakota Adams placed third in the 400 and pole vault, fifth in the long jump, and sixth in the triple jump.
Ricky Stanley placed third in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, and sixth in the long jump.
Von Tigner finished third in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump.
Allan Davila placed fourth in the 400.
Aundre Posadas placed fourth in the pole vault.
Daniel Rubio placed fourth in the discus and fifth in the shot put.
Eduardo Garcia placed fourth in the 3,200 and seventh in the triple jump.
Cesar Bolanos placed fifth in the 1,600 and 800.
Adrian Enriquez placed fifth in the 400.
Nathan Martin placed fifth in the 3,200.
Christian Arellano placed sixth in the shot put and discus.
Eduardo Ortiz placed sixth in the 3,200.
Ceres High’s girls team improved to 3-1 in the conference standings with a 70-42 win against Pacheco.
Maryn Curry swept the high jump, long jump and triple jump.
Jaden Stahl placed first in the 800 and 3,200, and third in the triple jump.
Jayda Bryant placed first in the 100 hurdles, second in the long jump and fourth in the 100.
Jillian Mande placed first in the discus and fourth in the shot put.
Alexa Sandoval placed first in the shot put and fifth in the discus.
Jelaine Esguerra placed second in the 100 and 200.
Alyssa Aveytia placed second in the shot put and third in the discus.
Monica Cendejas placed second in the triple jump and fifth in the 100.
Sandra Espinoza placed third in the 100.
Evelyn Alvarez placed third in the 1,600.
Julieta DelaCruz Ramirez placed third in the long jump.
Camila Padilla placed third in the 400 and fourth in the 200.
Maria Garcia placed fourth in the discus and fifth in the shot put.
Valentina Griziotti placed fifth in the 400 and sixth in the 200.
Megan Yorba placed sixth in the shot put and discus.
BOYS GOLF
Central Valley’s boys golf program finished fifth overall while competing at the Central California Conference Mid-Season Tournament on March 23 at Pheasant Run.
“I’m not upset we took fifth,” said Central Valley Coach Scott Edwards. “It’s a really, good league.”
“Golf is a hard sport for teenage boys,” he added. “You got to have patience. You got to be consistent. You got to have focus. If any of those things slip, it’s detrimental.”
Central Valley posted a team score of 506 at the CCC Mid-Season Tournament.
Golden Valley (406) took first.
El Capitan (445), Buhach Colony (469), Atwater (502), Merced (522) and Patterson (596) placed second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh, respectively.
“We beat Atwater head to head earlier this season,” Edwards said. “They got us in the tournament. The fact that we lost to Merced, that’s the one that bugs me.”
Matteo Bonales led Central Valley at the CCC Mid-Season Tournament with a 5-over-par 72.
Victor Alvarez (96), Dillon Brush (106), Dylan Jacobson (112) and Alijah Lopez (115) rounded out the Hawks’ scorecard.
Central Valley opened the second half of the CCC dual season with a 192-221 victory over Patterson on March 31 at St. Stanislaus.
“It’s similar to our first score with them,” Edwards said.
The Hawks improved to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the conference standings.
Bonales and Alvarez led Central Valley with identical scores of 33.
Brush, Lopez and Daniel Jacinto shot 34, 41 and 51, respectively.
“I mixed up my lineup,” Edwards said. “Dillon played well. That’s what we’ve been waiting for.”
Central Valley closed out the first half of the CCC dual campaign with a 172-190 loss to Buhach Colony on March 24 at St. Stanislaus.
Bonales and Alvarez led the Hawks with 32s.
Guajardo, Jadon Rafatti and Brandyn Matusich shot 39, 43 and 44, respectively.
“It was a long week,” commented Edwards . “The guys were tired. I was rotating players around to keep legs fresh. There were sunburns.”
Central Valley lost by just one stroke, 254-255, to Merced on March 22 at Merced Country Club.
Bonales led Central Valley with a 41.
Alvarez, Lopez, Guajardo and Brush shot 46, 53, 57 and 58, respectively.
“We gave away five strokes,” Edwards said. “We were not focused. Aside from our No. 1 and 2 players, we’re really all over the place. There’s not a lot of consistency. We can do some things differently from a practice standpoint to be more consistent.”
Central Valley had five matches remaining on its CCC dual schedule as of Monday.
“We’re battling Atwater for fourth place,” Edwards said.
