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Bulldogs best Pride in softball action to pull into tie for final playoff positioning
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Turlock sophomore Audrey Bailey celebrates after leading off Thursday’s CCAL clash with Pitman with her second career home run to left field. The Bulldogs won by a 7-0 score (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

After a heartbreaking loss in the first meeting with their crosstown rival on March 17, the Turlock High School varsity softball team took initiative Thursday to beat Pitman High by a 7-3 score and remain in postseason contention.

The win marked the fourth in a row for Turlock. The Bulldogs are now tied with the Pride for third place in the Central California Athletic League with matching 6-4 records.

Each team has five games remaining against conference opponents in the regular season.

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Pitman junior Shelby Wood races to first base after hitting an RBI single in the sixth inning of Thursday’s league game against Turlock. The Pride fell short, 7-3 (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

Per the Sac-Joaquin Section, the top three teams in the CCAL will receive automatic berths to the playoffs, though there are at-large bids and play-in games.

Tied at 1-1 after an RBI double from Pitman’s Juliet Jimenez and a leadoff home run off the bat of Turlock's Audrey Bailey in the first inning, Thursday’s game was broken open by the Bulldogs in the third inning, scoring four runs on three hits, a walk and a Pride fielding error.

The Bulldogs led off the frame with a walk and single from Rylie Bankson and Bailey, respectively. Bankson quickly scored on an RBI single from Rylee Murphy. Bailey and Murphy then scored when Brooke de la Motte hit a grounder to third and a throwing error was made. The lead was padded to 5-1 on a Chloe Chapman RBI single

Abby Maxwell added two insurance runs in the fourth inning with a two-run single.

The Pride got the two runs back in the sixth frame by way of an RBI double from Keanna Haro and a Shelby Wood RBI single.

The right-handed Bailey gave up the three earned runs on six hits and two walks in the complete game effort. Her record improved to 8-6.

Both teams will play 4 p.m. home games Tuesday for the continuation of CCAL play. The Bulldogs will look to extend the winning streak to five against second-place Gregori (7-3). The Pride hope to get back on track against first-place Enochs (9-1).

The season series will be determined on the final day of the regular season on May 5 when the Pride host the Bulldogs.