SENIOR SHORTSTOP JARRETT MILLER (RIGHT) COLLECTS THE THROW TO SECOND ON A STEAL DURING LAST SATURDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST IN THE HILMAR TOURNAMENT. MCHS DROPPED THE TITLE GAME, 7-4, TO HEAD ROYCE. GAZETTE PHOTO DAN TUCKER Some early game miscues allowed the Head Royce Hawks to sprint to open up a 5-run lead in last Saturday’s championship game of the Hilmar Tournament, and Mariposa’s Grizzlies couldn’t recover. The Hawks went on to claim the tournament title, 7-4, finishing the competition with a spotless mark.

The Grizzlies earned a berth in the title game with a 21-1 win over Riverbank last Tuesday. They followed that with a 5-2 win over Southern Athletic League foe Waterford on Wednesday, before bowing to Le Grand, 8-3, and downing the host Yellowjackets, 10-6.

Mariposa’s Austin Garibay was named the tournament’s most valuable offensive player. Garibay was 10-for-16 at the plate with a pair of home runs that lifted Mariposa past Waterford.

LADY GRIZZLY EMILY DAYHOFF (RIGHT) BATTLES FOR CONTROL OF THE BALL IN A NON-LEAGUE GAME AGAINST LOS BANOS SATURDAY. NO SCORE OR GAME DETAILS WERE SUBMITTED BY HEAD COACH RAY GREGORY. GAZETTE PHOTO BY DAN TUCKER Two Mariposa errors in the first inning against Head Royce yielded the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

Starting junior hurler Jarrett Leonard struggled early against the Hawks. He hadn’t thrown in nine days, and the rust was visible as Head Royce posted 4 runs in the top of the third inning to take a 5-0 advantage. In that inning, Leonard gave up a pair of doubles, although one was a misplayed ball in centerfield that was scored as a 2 RBI two-bagger.

The Grizzlies found their bats in the bottom of the third.

Senior Jacob Johnson stroked a 1-out single to launch the burst. Tommy Stickles laid an almost perfect bunt down the third base line to sacrifice Johnson to second before Colin Ritter slammed a double into the gap in centerfield to push Mariposa’s first run over the plate.

Senior shortstop Jarrett Miller was hit by a pitch, and Garibay drew a free pass. Leonard helped his own cause with a stinging single that scored Ritter and Garibay and cut the lead to 5-3.

The Hawks added a run in both the top of the fifth and sixth innings for a 7-3 bulge going into the bottom of the seventh.

Ritter led off with a single, and with two outs, Leonard spanked a ball to second that was misplayed and Ritter scored on the error.

For the game, Mariposa had just 7 hits against the Head Royce hurler, and far too many errors.

It was late-inning heroics that saved the game against Hilmar last Friday afternoon, launching MCHS into the title contest.

The Grizzlies scored first with a run in the third inning. Garibay reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single by senior catcher Kevin Foraker.

The Yellowjackets responded with 4 runs in the fourth inning to take the lead.

Mariposa entered the seventh inning trailing 6-4. Ian Merzwinski and Nick Leard were both hit by a pitch. Three singles in a row by Stickles, Miller and Jared Guenthart plated four runs. The big blow of the inning was a 2-run double by Leonard that lifted Mariposa to a 10-6 advantage.

Ritter went 5 innings on the mound in one of his stronger pitching performances.

Junior pitcher Cody Stitt started on the mound for Mariposa in the loss to Le Grand. He gave up 9 hits and 7 runs in three innings as the Bulldogs bolted to a 7-0 lead before the Grizzlies could get on the board with a solo run in the fourth inning when Foraker scored after leading off with a one-bagger.

The Grizzlies could muster just 2 more runs in the following inning. Miller drew a walk ,and Leonard followed with a single.

Garibay singled to plate Miller, and A.J. Hall’s sacrifice pushed Leonard over the plate for the Grizzlies’ last score.

Poor field conditions cancelled Tuesday afternoon’s scheduled SAL match at Le Grand, which sets up a showdown with Waterford on the Grizzlies’ home field Thursday afternoon at 3:45 p.m.

Both the Wildcats and Mariposa have been beaten just once in league play, but Waterford’s defeat came at the hands of the Grizzlies in their first meeting. The winner will emerge as the league’s leader.