Sierra’s 5-2 win over the Buffaloes at Manteca High Tuesday afternoon was a contest that neither side was too happy about following the final out.
It was a contest that the Timberwolves felt should have been lopsided and one Manteca felt it very easily could have won.
Considering each dugout left runners on in six out of seven at-bats, both make a pretty good case.
Sierra starter Andy Scott was outstanding in the victory save for the fact that he allowed the leadoff runner to reach in each of the first six innings.
Despite the usually foreboding bug-a-boo, however, Scott was nearly untouchable as he finished off a complete-game, four-hitter with 11 strikeouts.
“I was trying to figure out my consistency a little bit, I messed with my motion a little,” Scott said. “But I’m figuring it out. It got better as the game progressed; my first innings are always a little rough.”
Matt Burrows hit a towering fly ball that caught wings in the wind and drifted out for a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the second, and Curtiss May and Keifer Haynes hit a pair of doubles in the fourth to add another run, but that was the extent of Manteca’s damage.
“Offensively we had too many strikeouts, but we battled, we hung in there until the last inning,” Manteca skipper Gene Ballardo said. “All credit to Sierra and (Scott), he pitched great game. Now we have to turn around and battle them Thursday.”
Sierra scored three in the first after Jonathan Davis walked and was doubled home by Jordan Louie.
Louie and Lukas Owens (walked) then scored on the first of three Jordan Ribota doubles.
Owens and Ribota hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the seventh to cap the scoring, but Sierra stranded nine runners all told, including two each in the second, fourth and sixth.
“Every time we come out here, they compete,” Scott said of Manteca. “It’s always a good game against them. We should have done a much better job at the plate, it shouldn’t have been that close of a game, but what can you do? We still pulled it out.”
May got the start for the Buffaloes (2-6 Valley Oak League, 8-10-1) and went four, allowing three runs on five hits and walking four.
Ryan Knisely closed it out, allowing four hits, including three in the seventh.
“Andy did a great job,” Sierra head coach Jack Thomson said. “We were terrible offensively. We scored three in the first (then) made no adjustments at the plate for six innings. I don’t want to say we let (Manteca) hang around, because they threw strikes and they caught pop-ups, but they hung in the game.
“If we don’t put that two-spot up in the seventh, we might still be playing or we might be going home sad.”
Sierra (6-1 VOL, 12-5) hosts Manteca Thursday.
It was a contest that the Timberwolves felt should have been lopsided and one Manteca felt it very easily could have won.
Considering each dugout left runners on in six out of seven at-bats, both make a pretty good case.
Sierra starter Andy Scott was outstanding in the victory save for the fact that he allowed the leadoff runner to reach in each of the first six innings.
Despite the usually foreboding bug-a-boo, however, Scott was nearly untouchable as he finished off a complete-game, four-hitter with 11 strikeouts.
“I was trying to figure out my consistency a little bit, I messed with my motion a little,” Scott said. “But I’m figuring it out. It got better as the game progressed; my first innings are always a little rough.”
Matt Burrows hit a towering fly ball that caught wings in the wind and drifted out for a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the second, and Curtiss May and Keifer Haynes hit a pair of doubles in the fourth to add another run, but that was the extent of Manteca’s damage.
“Offensively we had too many strikeouts, but we battled, we hung in there until the last inning,” Manteca skipper Gene Ballardo said. “All credit to Sierra and (Scott), he pitched great game. Now we have to turn around and battle them Thursday.”
Sierra scored three in the first after Jonathan Davis walked and was doubled home by Jordan Louie.
Louie and Lukas Owens (walked) then scored on the first of three Jordan Ribota doubles.
Owens and Ribota hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the seventh to cap the scoring, but Sierra stranded nine runners all told, including two each in the second, fourth and sixth.
“Every time we come out here, they compete,” Scott said of Manteca. “It’s always a good game against them. We should have done a much better job at the plate, it shouldn’t have been that close of a game, but what can you do? We still pulled it out.”
May got the start for the Buffaloes (2-6 Valley Oak League, 8-10-1) and went four, allowing three runs on five hits and walking four.
Ryan Knisely closed it out, allowing four hits, including three in the seventh.
“Andy did a great job,” Sierra head coach Jack Thomson said. “We were terrible offensively. We scored three in the first (then) made no adjustments at the plate for six innings. I don’t want to say we let (Manteca) hang around, because they threw strikes and they caught pop-ups, but they hung in the game.
“If we don’t put that two-spot up in the seventh, we might still be playing or we might be going home sad.”
Sierra (6-1 VOL, 12-5) hosts Manteca Thursday.
