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Bulldogs top Downey to finish second in CCAL
Turlock High softball advances to SJS playoffs
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Turlock High starting pitcher Shelby Frutoz finished Tuesday’s game with a complete game performance and struck out 10, allowed no earned runs on two hits and the Bulldogs beat Downey 3-1 (EDDIE RUIZ/The Journal).

Turlock High senior pitcher Shelby Frutoz is leaving the Bulldog program on top, as are her four senior teammates.

Tuesday’s final game of the regular season against Downey not only marked the end of the year, but also the last home game that Frutoz and her teammates would likely play. They left it all on the field and secured a second-place finish in league following a close 3-1 victory.

“It was Senior Day and we wanted our seniors to go out with a win and playing well and all seniors started today and did a good job putting the ball in play and getting runs across,” said Turlock head coach Jill Ogden.

“I think this team does a good job of playing for each other,” said Frutoz. “I go out and not try to strikeout too many people, I just want to get us back in the dugout to hit. I think that is why our team is so successful, because we are not really too caught up in stats or batting average or something like that.”

Frutoz was never caught up with her stats, but they spoke to every one else.

Her skills caught the notice of many college scouts, including Long Beach State—the school that she committed to playing for next year.

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Senior Faith Erb makes a routine play to first base during Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Downey High in the final game of the regular season (EDDIE RUIZ/The Journal).

During her freshman year, Frutoz batted .338 and finished the season with an ERA of 1.66 and a record of 6-6 in 92 and 2/3 innings pitched. As a sophomore Frutoz raised her average to .443 and had a 16-10 record with an ERA of 2.00 after pitching 167 and 2/3 innings.

Frutoz batted .397 last year and had an ERA of 1.67, a record of 15-4 and struck out 178 in 125 and 2/3 innings.

Heading into Tuesday’s game, Frutoz was hitting .438 to go with the best ERA of any season at Turlock High at 1.11. She accumulated a record of 15-5 for the regular season and finished with 223 strikeouts prior to the start of playoffs.

“I love playing under pressure,” Frutoz added. “In travel ball we usually play with about 20 to 30 scouts at a time, so there is always a lot of pressure and being in that atmosphere got me ready and I feel like I play better under pressure.”

Lauren Edh of Turlock scored the first run of the ball game in the bottom of the second inning following a Maryn Thompson RBI that made the score 1-0.

Two runs were added in the bottom of the fourth for Turlock when Faith Hernandez hit an RBI single. Following an error from Downey, an unearned was scored in the process, and because of it Hernandez made her way to third.

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Nataly Jimenez of Turlock High hit a triple in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Downey High (EDDIE RUIZ/The Journal).

Downey scored an unearned run in the sixth and Frutoz was able to finish the game with three straight strikeouts.

Frutoz finished the game with 10 strikeouts, no earned runs on two hits.

Turlock tallied five hits for the game and committed two errors.

Turlock has won 16 games or more in the past three seasons.

Their league record over the last three years was a combined 28-11.

In 2017, Turlock went 7-5 in league and 16-12 overall.

Last year they equaled their win total by going 16-8, and 10-2 in league, which also gave them a final Central California Conference title in their final year competing in that league.

They followed that up by going 17-8 this past season and taking second in the inaugural season in the Central California Athletic League with a record of 11-4.

“We had expectations of winning league this year, and I think we were good enough to do that, and in that regard, we were disappointed to not get that done. But we were able to hang in there and get second,” said Ogden.

Turlock advances to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. For the latest bracket updates visit cifsjs.org.