Three-time, defending Central California Athletic League champion Turlock High, seeded fifth in the bracket, saw its season come to a close Friday with a 5-4 loss at No. 4 Granite Bay in the quarterfinal round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I baseball playoffs.
The Bulldogs trailed 5-2 heading to the sixth inning, where an attempt at a late comeback began with a sacrifice fly by senior Aiden De Los Santos and an RBI single courtesy of junior Braydon Keyler. Turlock threatened again in the seventh with three baserunners, but couldn’t get any across home.
Turlock’s season ends at 22-7 overall.
The Bulldogs punched a ticket to the quarterfinal round with an 8-1 victory over No. 12 Edison of Stockton to Mark de la Motte Field on Wednesday.
Similar to the impact he has made over the years on the gridiron at Joe Debely Stadium as a standout wide receiver, senior center fielder Landyn Fitzgerald was key to the Bulldogs’ playoff win with both his glove and bat.
Holding onto a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning, the Vikings had the tying run at first in the speedy Anthony Morones, who singles with one out. The next batter, Roman Stewart flew out to Fitzgerald in deep center as Morones took off to attempt a steal. Fitzgerald then unleashed a one-hop missile back to first baseman Cooper Pacheco, whose scoop successfully completed a double play to end the inning.
“They were trying to get a rally going. (Morones) had that base hit and I saw him take off and knew that there was a play to be made,” Fitzgerald said. “Once I saw the ball fly to me, I knew I was throwing it and was going to get him.”
Starting pitcher Cameron Henard only threw eight pitches in the frame. He, Fitzgerald, Pacheco and the Turlock offense proved that momentum had shifted to their dugout. All four drove in runs in a five-run sixth inning.
Pacheco grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate Adam Torres, and scored on a double to deep left by De Los Santos. Henard then scored Owen McCord on a sacrifice fly. De Los Santos hustled home on a single by Keyler and a throwing error. Fitzgerald capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI single up the middle.
“Our dugout is always loud, and the offense has been great all year,” Fitzgerald said. “But after that throw, we just turned it on. It was pretty awesome.”
Henard struck out 10 and allowed just the one unearned run on three hits and two walks as he went the distance in his third start of the season. The lone blemish on his line came on a rare play in the first inning, when a throw down to third base by the catcher, De Los Santos, struck the batter, Emiliano Zapata, and ricocheted into the Turlock dugout, automatically advancing the baserunner to home.
“I just had to put it past me and trust my teammates, because I know my teammates can rally up and score a lot of runs, as we did,” Henard said. “I know I can trust my team no matter what happens when I'm on the bump. I felt great. I was going into this week knowing I was going to start, and I mentally prepared myself for everything. I made sure all my mechanics and pitch grips were all good, and just had to come out and show it.”
The Turlock offense quickly bounded back, tying the game in the bottom of the first as Torres raced home when Owen McCord grounded into a double play with no outs and the bases loaded. The Bulldogs then took the lead in the third on a De Los Santos sac fly that brought in Pacheco. McCord gave the Bulldogs its eighth run in the sixth inning with an RBI double.
DIVISION II: Jesuit 9, Pitman 0
Pitman High, seeded No. 13 in the Division II bracket, saw its season come to a close in Carmichael on Wednesday, blanked by No. 4 Jesuit 9-0 in the opening round. The Pride’s sixth straight loss to end the season was only the fourth time in which they were held scoreless this season.
Pitching the first six innings was Sammy Kane, allowing just three hits and punching out five, Dillon Pratt handled the seventh, striking out a pair in his perfect inning to shut the door on the Pride’s season.
Pitman’s senior trio of Nolan Walker, Jackson Way and Jesse Gutierrez nabbed the team’s lone hits of the afternoon.
The Pride end their 2026 campaign with a 17-11 overall record.
