Indians edge Escalon with walk-off hit to stay unbeaten in TVL

“A win is a win, no matter how they come,” Ripon head coach Tanner Jordan said after his team’s gritty 4-3 victory over visiting Escalon Thursday afternoon.

The win keeps the Indians (3-0, 11-3 overall) undefeated in league play and atop the Trans Valley League standings after three games. They had come into the showdown with the Cougars (1-2, 2-10) winners of three straight by a combined score of 29-3.

Pitcher Angelina Martinez has been a huge part of Ripon’s early-season success, and the senior standout was strong in the circle yet again on Thursday, scattering eight hits and allowing just one earned run, while striking out eight over seven innings.

“Angelina really dug deep on what was a hot day against a team that is way better than their record shows,” Jordan said. “I thought she did a good job mixing pitches and pitching to contact, and we played great defense behind her for most of the game.”

Martinez was her best against Escalon after allowing runners to get on base. She worked around trouble in the first, third, and fourth innings to keep the Cougars off of the board through the first five innings.

Escalon starting pitcher freshman Tenley Adams was equally as good and up for the challenge facing a hot Ripon lineup. Adams mowed down seven Indians through her four innings with the ball for the Cougars.

Ripon would break through in the second inning, however, as freshman third baseman Ellie Spurzem hit a line drive over the left field fence for her third home run of the young season.

Adams and Martinez would continue posting scoreless frames until the bottom of the fifth inning when Ripon would get some insurance. After a leadoff walk to Addison Naranjo, senior catcher Izabelle Spurzem hit a towering fly ball to center field that carried over the wall to make it two home runs on the day for the Spurzem sisters and a 3-0 lead for Ripon.

“Ellie and Izzy really set the tone for us offensively today, and I was pumped to see both of those balls get out,” Jordan said. “Obviously, we needed those two runs on Izzy’s home run in the end after things got interesting late.”

Things got interesting for Ripon after Martinez allowed a leadoff home run to Escalon shortstop Ariana Velasco to make it 3-1 Ripon.

Ripon’s normally strong defense would then waver a bit in the seventh inning. After freshman Lauryn Siegel reached on an error to start the inning, leadoff hitter Madison Babasa would hit a line drive off of Martinez for a single putting two runners on with no one out. A sacrifice bunt attempt Jessy-Lynn Kesler was fielded by the Indians and thrown down the line into right field to make it 3-2 with one out and runners on second and third. Velasco would come through in the clutch yet again, hitting a sacrifice fly to tie it going into the bottom of the seventh.

“Things kind of unraveled a bit for us defensively there,” Jordan said. “We fielded the ball well all game, and before you know it, they have a chance to take the lead after a few plays that we typically make but just didn’t there in the seventh.”

The resilient Indians had an answer in the bottom of the inning. After a leadoff single up the middle by Addison Naranjo, Clara Townsend reached on a hit on a sacrifice bunt attempt that saw both runners advance. Izabelle Spurzem would step into the batter’s box with the game on the line.

“In that spot, I am really just trying to put the ball in play,” the elder Spurzem said. “I know myself, and I love being in those situations trying to put a good swing on the ball and hit it hard somewhere.”

Izabelle Spurzem did hit the ball hard, a line drive by the drawn in infield to score Naranjo and give the Indians a gutsy victory.

“The fight we showed there in the seventh will do us wonders as we move forward,” Jordan said. “These girls get along great there were no heads down in the dugout after allowing those runs. They knew what was needed and got the job done when it mattered.”

Ripon has a challenging week ahead starting with a league game at Hilmar next Tuesday. Two days later, the Indians head to Hughson.