SENIOR TOMMY STICKLES MAKES A DRAMATIC, DUSTY SLIDE INTO HOME PLATE DURING THE VARSITY GRIZZLIES’ BIG WIN OVER DENAIR ON MONDAY. THE GAME WAS PLAYED AS A MAKE-UP FOR AN EARLIER RAIN OUT. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER With a pair of convincing, 5- inning victories in their last two Southern Athletic League outings, Mariposa’s Grizzlies are still in the chase for the SAL title.

Tuesday afternoon the Grizzlies hammered Delhi on the Hawks’ home field, 15-1, following a 10-0 win over Denair’s Coyotes in a Monday afternoon make-up match.

Jarrett Miller provided the muscle at the plate in the win over Delhi. Miller ripped a pair of triples, plus a 1-bagger to lead a hitting parade that included almost the entire Mariposa lineup.

Five runs in the first inning by Mariposa spelled out the Hawks’ immediate future.

Colin Ritter threw three innings, following by 1-inning stints on the mound by Austin Garibay and Cody Stitt that held the Hawks to just 1 run.

The win moved Mariposa to 7-3 on the season, deadlocked with Waterford’s Wildcats (7-3). Both teams trail league-leading Turlock Christian by a single game, and the Grizzlies’ schedule includes a pair against TC and another meeting with Waterford next week in their final five league games.

On Monday, senior Jacob Johnson kept the Denair bats quiet with a 4-hitter on just 79 pitches.

The Grizzlies scored a solo run in the bottom of the first inning. They added 2 in the second when A.J. Hall reached safely and scored on a sacrifice by Nick Leard. Tommy Stickles layed down a perfect bunt, stole second, and scored on a fielder’s choice by Kevin Foraker.

Mariposa added a pair of runs in the third inning when Garibay reached on a fielder’s choice, and Jarrett Leonard jacked the ball out of the park for a 2-run homer.

The Grizzlies added a run in the fourth frame, and 4 more in the fifth paced by doubles from Miller and Johnson.

Last week, Mariposa suffered its third league loss at the hand of the same team, 3-2.

The Grizzlies scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning to take a shortlived 2-0 lead, but Denair answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the second inning. Mariposa’s bats went silent, and the Grizzlies managed just four hits in the game in what head coach Bruce Vegely termed, “one of our worst games of the season.”

The Grizzlies host Le Grand’s Bulldogs Thursday afternoon. The Bulldogs have adopted the spoiler role in the SAL race with a 5-5 league record, but they are capable of beating any team in the league. The Grizzlies will try to keep pace with Turlock Christian and Waterford in their hunt for the championship.