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Turlock, Pitman see mixed results at tourney
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The four day Dick Windemuth Easter Baseball Tournament was cut short on Thursday as heavy rain forced officials to cancel the event. After only two games Turlock and Pitman High were sent home, the Bulldogs 0-2 and the Pride 2-0 in the tournament.
Pitman's first game in the tournament was against Modesto High on Monday. The Pride (4-4 CCC) hit the Panthers with six runs in the first inning to start the matchup, leaving Modesto reeling for the rest of the game. Damian Sousa-Johnson had an exceptional day from both the plate and the hill with a 1.000 batting average, two RBI's, two runs, and three strike outs with only one hit allowed. Steven Kha led the offensive front with four RBI's and two runs as Grayson Kennedy and AJ Deer chipped in with two RBI's, two runs and one RBI, one run respectively.
"It starts with the pitching," Pitman's head coach Mick Tate said. "Sousa-Johnson was phenomenal."
Pitman scored four more runs in the fifth and final inning.
On Tuesday the Pride played a young Gregori High team in a 4-3 victory that was too close for comfort. Brimming with confidence, Pitman underestimated the squad from Modesto and trailed for five innings after giving up one run in the first inning and two in the third. Pitman got back on track in the fifth inning with four runs as Sage Padilla, Brennan Hauser, and Zach Olsen brought runners home with their bats.
Turlock's outing at the Easter Tournament didn't go as planned as it lost both its games by one point. On Monday the Bulldogs (4-4 CCC) faced Downey High in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss. Both teams waged a defensive battle and struggled from the plate. Tyler Murphy pitched all six innings and finished the day with six strike outs but a fifth inning hit and run was all the Knights needed to edge out the Bulldogs.
Turlock returned on Tuesday against Beyer High with an improved offensive performance, scoring the first run of the game in the first inning. The Patriots responded in the second with a run of their own, a second in the third inning and another in the fifth, however, to take a two point lead. Turlock managed to earn one more run in the sixth inning but couldn't make a complete comeback, falling 3-2.
The Bulldogs and Pride, tied for third in the CCC, must now make a run for the CCC title as the season nears its end. Pitman will face number one seed Merced High next week and Turlock will face Atwater High.