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Hilmar softball headed to section championship
Hilmar softball 2
Hilmar’s Jenna Gomes once again helped her Yellowjackets on the mound, going seven innings with five strikeouts in their semifinals game against Linden High (Journal file photo).

Third seeded Hilmar High was able to pull out the upset against second seeded Linden High to reach the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V finals. The Yellowjackets controlled the pace throughout the game and rode their hot offense to victory.

The game started as a defensive battle with neither team scoring in the first two innings. That all changed in the third with a homerun with one on base by Camryn Mattos to give the Yellowjackets a 2-0 lead. Emily Bare’s double a few batters later extended the lead to 4-0 and gave her two RBIs.

Linden was able to score a run themselves in the third to keep it a close game at 4-1, but the Yellowjackets opened things up in the fifth inning with six runs. Maddie Johnston hit a double with the bases loaded to score three of the runs to extend the lead to 7-1. They piled up three more runs to really put the pressure on Linden.

Emily Cogwell’s hit gave the Yellowjackets a 12-1 lead going into the seventh inning. Hilmar had some trouble putting Linden away and they scored four runs in the last effort to win the game. But a strikeout secured the victory for the Yellowjackets and they won 12-5. 

Jenna Gomes was the winning pitcher. She went seven innings with five strikeouts and seven hits.

“She was consistent throughout the game,” said head coach Paul Willis. “She finished strong in the seventh with a fly out to Destiny Denys in right field and a strikeout to end the game.”

The Yellowjackets will play number one seed Calaveras High in the finals at 4 p.m. Saturday at Delta Junior College.

“Calaveras is a solid team that is coached very well,” said Willis. “They have a lot of team speed and power and they score a lot of runs. We are going to have to try and keep the pressure on them by scoring early in the game. Our defense will need to make plays behind our pitcher Jenna Gomes. We are looking forward to a great matchup.”