The Turlock High varsity baseball team handled business against crosstown rival Pitman this week, while also receiving some help from their friends.

As the Bulldogs swept the Pride in their annual three-game set, the Downey and Gregori programs beat up on each other over in Modesto to help Turlock secure at least a share of the Central California Athletic League title, which they won outright a year ago.

Following their series-opening win on Monday, the Bulldogs traveled to the Pitman campus on Wednesday and won by a 5-2 score. They capped off the sweep by blanking the Pride 4-0 on Thursday back at Mark de la Motte Field. Also on Wednesday, Downey won their second straight game against Gregori, before the Jaguars avoided a sweep with a 10-3 win in their finale on Thursday.

The Bulldogs improved to 11-1 against conference opponents, while the Knights and Jaguars are tied for second at 8-4. The Pride dropped down to fifth place with a 3-9 league record.

And now, the math has become simpler atop the league standings.

Turlock and Downey will face off in a three-game set during the week of April 28, with the ‘Dogs needing to win just one game to become outright champions for a consecutive season. The Knights will need a sweep in order to claim a share of the conference throne. The Jaguars will aim for a sweep of their own against 6-6 Enochs while simultaneously rooting for the Knights to win out, which would cause a three-way tie with each team having 11-4 records.

The Bulldogs will have home field advantage in their series, hosting the Knights in the Monday opener. The series will shift to Modesto on Wednesday, and return to Turlock for the regular season finale on Friday. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. each day.

The Pride didn’t make things easy for starting pitcher Andrew Sevilla and the Bulldogs on Wednesday, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two-run home run to deep right field off the bat of Nathan Cervantes. It was the senior’s second big fly of the season.

Turlock didn’t get on the scoreboard until the top of the third, when Josh Ramirez — who reached on a two-out single and advanced to third on a Jaron Rocha double — walked into home on a balk by Pitman starter Elias Mendez. Rocha then knotted things up by scurrying home on a fielding error on a sharp grounder off Sevilla’s bat. Ramirez’s bat stayed hot in the fifth, leading off the frame with a double, then scoring on a Cooper Pacheco single. 

They extended the lead to 5-2 in the sixth. Salazar walked the leadoff man, hit another batter with a pitch, then saw Rocha reach on an error, which set Pacheco for more heroics. The junior hit another sharp grounder that couldn't be handled by the Pitman defense, allowing two runners to score.

Sevilla retired the side in order in the seventh, striking out the last two batters to bring his game total to six.

He would be outdone by rotation partner Dutch Lawrence the next day. The lengthy senior punched out 11 in his six scoreless innings of work. He was hardly in any trouble, surrendering just three hits and three walks over his outing.

All the offense on the afternoon came in the first inning.

Ramirez and Rocha, as they have become accustomed to doing, set the tone early, leading off with back-to-back home runs to left field. They were the first long balls of the year for each senior.

After Sevilla and Jadon Boyer singled, Cameron Henard drove them both in with a single to center field.

Following the five hits and four runs to start the game, Pitman starter Cole Kelley settled in comfortably, only allowing one more baserunner (a walk) in his remaining 2 1/3 innings of work. Ben Vilhauer finished the game for the guys in green by tossing 2 2/3 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball.

Now riding a seven-game losing streak, the Pride will look to make their long-awaited return to the win column over next weekend at the Central Coast Baseball Classic in San Luis Obispo. The following week brings the final regular season series of the year against 0-12 Modesto.

The Bulldogs will also be at the SLO tournament, looking to maintain the momentum heading into the critical series the week after.