Softball Game Preview: Escalon Cougars vs. Ripon Indians

The Escalon Cougars will head out to challenge the Ripon Indians at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Escalon is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.

Last Tuesday, Escalon came up short against Hughson and fell 7-2.

Madison Babasa

Stolen Base

04/08/25 @ Hughson	1
04/02/25 @ Linden	1
04/01/25 @ Hilmar	1

Escalon saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Madison Babasa, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Babasa has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.

Meanwhile, after only one run in their last match, Ripon made sure to put some runs up on the board against Sonora on Thursday. The Indians' pitcher stepped up to hand the Wildcats a 10-0 shutout. The victory continues a trend for the Indians in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won four in a row.

Ripon let Addison Naranjo and Izabelle Spurzem run wild. Naranjo went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Spurzem went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI Naranjo has posted since back in February of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Clara Townsend, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.

Ripon lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.

Escalon's loss dropped their record down to 4-12. As for Ripon, they now have a winning record of 8-7.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Escalon has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Ripon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Escalon suffered a grim 7-0 defeat to Ripon in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.