Riverbank Bruins’ number one girls doubles tennis pair brought home the first place medals in last week’s individual tournament in the Sac-Joaquin Section competition.
RHS Coach Bruce Edwards reports that the team of Selena Garcia and Alondra Ibarra defeated a solid team from Amador, 6-2 and 6-0 last Thursday.
“On Friday in the semifinals, they easily took down the Lindhurst team 6-0, 6-1. Their volleys, overheads and serves were really on.” he said. “Then, in the finals, things went south fast. They lost 12 of the first 14 points against Marysville High and were down 3-0 in games. Almost all of the points were unforced errors by us. We started to win a couple of games but lost the first set 6-2.”
In the second set, The Lady Bruins got up fast and won 6-1 with a few adjustments, Edwards said, such as coming up to the net and not serving so hard on the first serve.
After a 10-minute break they started the third set down again, but the girls began to fight back. By midway, Garcia and Ibarra were on the short side of a 4-2, then 5-2 score.
As they worked to get the match to 5-4, the momentum began to shift, according to Edwards.
When the Marysville girls began making errors and double faulting, the score came around to 5-5.
“Our opponents began to show frustration and fatigue, with the score becoming 5-6 in favor of Riverbank,” Edwards explained. “Then the Marysville girls began over hitting, trying to do too much.”
He added that the Riverbank girls kept their composure and, in doing so, captured the win.
“Our other girls doubles, Carla Ibarra and Jackie Pantoja, lost to a good team from El Dorado, 7-5 and 6-3.”
The El Dorado pair lost in the next round.
“Erik Pantoja won his first singles match against Union Mine, 6-1, 6-2. Then he played his best tennis ever, though he lost 6-1, 6-1 to the top seeded player and ultimate champ, Justin Le, of Center High,” Edwards said.
Zubaidullah Hamedi played the eventual runner up, Brian McGee of Sonora, losing 6-3, 6-1, the coach reported.
“The Sonora kid got everything back and Zubai was over hitting and missing a lot of shots. He just lacks experience in playing singles against this type of player,” the coach noted.
The mixed doubles team of Juan Vigil and Jasmine Rubio blew through Patterson, 6-0, 6-0.
“Then they lost in a close three setter to the runner up from Bear River. Juan and Jasmine are #6s on our team ladder and went three sets against the #2s, so they did well in the quarterfinals,” Edwards noted.
Team Sections
Meanwhile, the Sac-Joaquin Section Team Tournament began on Monday, April 29, with Riverbank playing against Orestimba, winning seven matches to two on Wednesday, May 1. They had a bye in that first round.
The win puts them up against a tough Sonora team in a match that was to be played on Monday, May 6, the semifinal, after The News went to press. The championship will be determined Wednesday, May 8, pitting the Sonora/Riverbank winner against the team on top of the other same semifinal match, Escalon against Lindhurst High School.
Baseball, Softball
The Bruin baseball and softball seasons are coming to a close this week, with games in the record books from last week.
Riverbank’s varsity boys hosted Modesto Christian on Tuesday, April 30, then played on the Crusaders’ field on Thursday, May 2. Unfortunately, the Bruins dropped both games, 16-0 and 17-1, both in five innings.
Their final home game, Senior Night, was set for Tuesday, May 7 hosting Hilmar’s Yellowjackets, then they were to end the season at Hilmar on May 8.
The Lady Bruin softball squad lost, 10-0, in Hughson last Wednesday, and were to close out their 2019 season with a Senior Night against Escalon’s Lady Cougars on Wednesday, May 8.
