East Union’s baseball team picked up an important win Friday, as Ashton Heath and the Lancers held off host Sierra for a 4-2 Valley Oak League win.

The Lancers (4-8, 10-10 overall) avoided the sweep while staying alive in the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason race. Four teams make it out of the VOL, and East Union is two games back of fourth-place Manteca going into its three-game set against last-place Kimball (0-12, 2-19).

East Union never trailed Friday thanks to the efforts of its pitchers. Reliever Zach Grabowski and Heath combined for a two-hitter. Heath gave up two unearned runs on two hits and four walks while firing five strikeouts over six innings. Grabowski faced five batters in the seventh and secured the save.

“Ashton Heath pitched a phenomenal game,” EU coach Dan Bauer said. “He came up big or us like he has all year.”

Dylan Lee and A.J. Vasquez each had an RBI single for the Lancers. Tyler Looney and Collins Schluer knocked in Sierra’s runs. The Timberwolves (8-4, 11-10) used four pitchers.

Sierra slipped to a second-place tie with Oakdale and now trails VOL-leading Central Catholic (10-2, 14-6-1) by two games. Sierra and Oakdale end the regular season next week against each other.

Manteca 11, Oakdale 8

Trailing 4-0, the Buffaloes (6-6, 14-9) rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fourth and didn’t trail again to notch the needed win.

Manteca had dropped three straight and is holding on to the fourth and final available playoff berth in the VOL.

Landon Chamberlain powered the comeback, finishing 2 for 4 with a double and six RBIs. Michael George went 2 for 3, Alex Murietta was 2 for 2 with two runs, Rex Watson plated three runs and Derrick Day drove in a pair of runs. George was also the winning pitchers after giving up one run on three hits in four innings in middle relief.

Christian Diebner was 2 for 2 with a homer and three RBIs for Oakdale (8-4, 11-10-1).