Things have changed in the Central California Conference this year and this week marked the beginning of a three-game series, starting with game one at Turlock High as the Bulldogs hosted the Atwater Falcons.

Turlock senior Marcus Lopez tossed a complete game shutout, struck out seven and allowed four hits on Tuesday and the Bulldogs went on to beat the Falcons, 2-0, at home after Lopez picked up his third win in three starts.

“Great job from Marcus [Lopez] with no walks, that is super,” Turlock head coach Mark de la Motte said. “It was a pitchers' duel and they gave us all we could handle; it was a tight one.”

Turlock left nine guys on base throughout the entire game, starting with the first inning.

“We left somebody on third base with no outs in the first if that tells you anything about the start,” de la Motte said.

Zeros were left on the board till the sixth inning as Lopez  held the Falcons' offense to only two hits after six innings.

After being held scoreless in the first five innings, junior Brandon Booz led off the inning with a triple then Peyton Dunseth's RBI single broke the game wide open.

Booz led all Bulldogs with multiple hits as he went 2-for-3 behind a Turlock offense that tallied seven hits for the game.

Mitch Pryschuk then brought in Dunseth for the game's second and final run.

In the top of the seventh, things looked a bit shaky after the Atwater offense launched a rally. Lopez allowed two of the four hits for the game but managed to pitch out of a jam with one out, runners in second and first and the go-ahead run at the plate.

“Barely, but we got 'em,” de la Motte laughed. “They are a playoff team and a good matchup against anybody.”

Turlock is now 2-0 in league and 6-3 overall.

Their next game will be at Atwater High with Nick Avila set to pitch at 4 p.m. Thursday.