Ceres High’s softball team tightened its grip on third place and kept its Western Athletic Conference title hopes alive this past week.
Central Valley remained in fifth place.
“I’m proud of them,” Bulldogs’ head coach Josie Heacox said. “All of the hard work they’ve put in is definitely paying off.”
“We’re a young group,” Hawks’ leader Jimmy Bates said. “We still have a lot of room to grow.”
Ceres High improved to 12-7 overall and 8-2 in WAC play following Friday’s 13-2 mercy-rule victory against visiting Lathrop.
The fourth-place Spartans dropped to 8-6 overall and 5-4 in league.
The Bulldogs have won eight games by 10 or more runs this season.
Ceres High’s Alizae Cole pitched a complete game versus Lathrop.
She gave up one earned run and four hits with 11 strikeouts and four walks in five innings.
The Bulldogs had a team batting average of .500 against the Spartans.
Ceres High collected 10 hits.
Cole batted 2-for-2 from the plate with one double and one run.
Bella Bravo batted 3-for-4 with one triple, one double, three RBIs and two runs.
Nani Sagapolu batted 1-for-1 with two RBIs and two runs.
Ceres High routed Johansen 15-0 in five innings on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs had 10 hits.
Amaia Pritchett batted 2-for-3 from the plate with two RBIs and two runs.
Gabriela Ortiz batted 1-for-1 with one double, two RBIs and two runs.
Emma Hernandez batted 1-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
Elizabeth Figueroa batted 2-for-3 with one double and two runs.
Montesdeoca batted 1-for-2 with one triple, one RBI and one run.
Kylie Bond batted 1-for-2 with one RBI and one run.
Bravo, Cole, Tatiana Ortiz and Samantha Alcaraz all tallied one run.
Figueroa totaled 11 strikeouts and no walks during her five-inning shutout.
She allowed no runs and two hits.
Central Valley moved to 11-7 overall and 5-5 in the WAC after beating Pacheco and losing to Beyer.
The Hawks cruised to an 11-0 victory over Pacheco in five innings on Wednesday in Ceres.
“It’s always nice when everybody gets to enter the game,” Bates said.
Central Valley pitcher Brooklynn Steeley was dominant in the circle against last-place Pacheco (3-14, 0-9).
She surrendered no runs and four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in five innings.
Gabriela Delatorre led the way on offense as she batted 2-for-4 from the plate with one double and four RBIs.
KaDynce Piceno batted 1-for-1 with two runs.
Reylena Herrera batted 0-for-1 with two runs.
Central Valley battled Beyer before suffering a 9-3 loss on Friday in Modesto.
The second-place Patriots (15-6, 8-1) snapped the Hawks’ three-game winning streak.
Central Valley collected four hits off Beyer pitcher/NCAA Division-I Utah State commit Jordyn Lish.
Steeley batted 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Herrera batted 2-for-4 with one run.
Delatorre batted 1-for-4 with one run.
The Hawks led 1-0 heading into the bottom of the first inning.
The Patriots scored two runs in the first, second and third innings, and three in the fifth.
Central Valley contributed to its own downfall by committing three errors.
BOYS TENNIS
Central Valley’s boys tennis team remained in fourth in the Western Athletic Conference standings this past week after winning one of two matches.
The Hawks improved to 4-5 in the WAC with an 8-1 victory at Livingston on Thursday.
The fifth-place Wolves (2-7) dropped to 2-7 in league play.
Central Valley swept all three doubles and won five of six singles matches against Livingston.
Blake Silva and Manny Carranza prevailed 6-0, 6-1 in No. 1 doubles play.
Roman Parodi and Leo Navarro prevailed 6-4, 6-2 in No. 2 doubles play.
Osvaldo Cisneros and Rehman Ali prevailed 6-2, 6-3 in No. 3 doubles play.
Avori Ortega prevailed 6-4, 6-4 in No. 2 singles play.
Silas Rodriguez prevailed 6-1, 6-3 in No. 3 singles play.
Alex Aguilar prevailed 7-6, 6-3 in No. 4 singles play.
Jaylan Tagadaya prevailed 6-2, 6-3 in No. 5 singles play.
Darien Pongbandith prevailed by forfeit in No. 6 singles play.
Anantah Sivongxay lost 6-3, 6-1 in No. 1 singles play.
Central Valley lost 8-1 to Grace Davis on Wednesday in Ceres.
The Hawks won one of six singles and dropped all three doubles matches against third-place the Spartans (5-4).
Cisneros and Ali prevailed 6-0, 6-0, in No. 3 doubles play.
Parodi and Navarro lost 6-2, 4-3 (forfeit) in No. 2 doubles play.
Silva and Carranza lost 6-4, 7-5 in No. 1 doubles play.
Pongbandith lost 6-2, 3-6, 11-9 in No. 6 singles play.
Tagadaya lost 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 10-7 in No. 5 singles play.
Aguilar lost 6-4, 7-5 in No. 4 singles play.
Rodriguez lost 6-3, 7-5 in No. 3 singles play.
Ortega lost 6-1, 6-3 in No. 2 singles play.
Sivongxay lost 6-1, 6-4 in No. 1 singles play.
TRACK & FIELD
Ceres High’s track and field program faced off against Beyer and Grace Davis during a Western Athletic Conference tri-meet on April 2.
Central Valley competed against WAC-opponents Johansen and Lathrop on March 26.
Ceres High’s boys totaled 40 points while sweeping Beyer and Grace Davis at Downey High School.
The Patriots and Spartans posted team scores of 26 and 13, respectively, versus the Bulldogs.
Ceres High’s 4x100 relay team of Reis Smith, Joseluis Arreola, Nathaniel Macias and Tre Karriem placed first.
Ceres High’s 4x400 relay team of Sergio Torres, Jaiden Boss, Kyle Phongsa and Cashton Almeida placed first.
Boss also placed first in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
Smith placed first in the 200.
Calen Adams placed first in the pole vault.
Ceres High’s girls (39 points) topped Grace Davis and lost to Beyer.
The Spartans posted team scores of 20 and 47, respectively.
Ceres High’s 4x400 relay team of Brooke Kiser, Roe Monroe, Alyssa Rodriguez and Jayden Garcia placed first.
Alanize Moreno placed first in the shot put.
Mariah Zamora placed first in the triple jump, second in the 200 and third in the long jump.
Garcia also placed first in the 300 hurdles and third in the 100 hurdles.
Central Valley’s girls team (13 points) shut out Johansen (0) and lost to host Lathrop (14).
Hawk Eliana Tamayo took first in the 200 and second in the 100.
Brianna Espinoza took first in the discus and third in the shot put.
Cristina Carmona took second in the shot put and discus.
Central Valley’s boys team lost 14-9 to Johansen and 20-3 to Lathrop.
Hawk Alexis Landa took second in the 800 and 1,600.
Frankie Klino took second in the 3,200 and sixth in the 1,600.
Massimo Catalano took second in the 300 hurdles and ninth in the 100.
David Alvarado took second in the discus and ninth in the shot put.
Central Valley’s 4x400 relay team of Catalano, Daniel Leon, Ernesto Martinez and Antonio Burgos took second.
