FRESHMAN CARISSA LEONARD SLIDES SAFELY INTO THIRD BASE DURING THE VARSITY GRIZZLIES’ 7-0 SHUT OUT OVER THE LE GRAND BULLDOGS ON MONDAY. THE GAME WAS A MAKE-UP FROM AN EARLIER RAIN-OUT. THE VARSITY GRIZZLIES CONCLUDED REGULAR SEASON PLAY THIS WEEK. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER Tuesday afternoon in Waterford, the Wildcats spanked Mariposa’s Lady Grizzly varsity softball team, 11-1, but even that loss didn’t banish MCHS’s hopes of a third place finish and a berth in the playoffs. The Wildcats iced the Southern Athletic League’s top playoff seed and the league crown with the win.

Last week, Mariposa split a pair of SAL contests, drubbing Denair, 12-0, on Wednesday, and falling to Turlock Christian, 2-0 on Friday.

The TC Eagles scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning on a couple of Mariposa errors, and held the Lady Grizzlies scoreless for the entire contest. The Turlock Christian hurler held Mariposa to just two hits the entire game.

In the Denair rout, Mariposa’s Brittany Binnewies picked up the win on the mound in five innings. She gave up just three hits, and struck out four while issuing a solo walk.

The Lady Grizzlies scored a run in the first inning and added eight in the second with EllaRose Thorpe delivering the biggest blow with a double. Morgan Foley also delivered a 2 RBI double, and Carissa Leonard had a two-bagger as well. Calee Peracca and Brook Barrett both recorded solo RBI singles. Mariposa was aided by a flurry of Denair errors.

For the game, Foley was 2-for-2 at the plate and Peracca went 2- for-3.