Softball Game Preview: Patterson Tigers vs. Manteca Buffaloes

The Patterson Tigers will challenge the Manteca Buffaloes at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Patterson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.

Patterson fell victim to Oakdale and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mustangs. The Tigers have struggled against the Mustangs recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost meetings.

Patterson saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jazmine Isom, who went 2-for-3 with one double.

Meanwhile, Manteca entered their tilt with Escalon on Friday with three consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with four. They were the clear victor by a 19-5 margin over the Cougars. Considering the Buffaloes have won three contests by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

The team relied heavily on Ayva Wilkins, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March of 2024. Jocelyn Baptist was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.

Manteca hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Escalon struck out six times.

Manteca pushed their record up to 5-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Patterson, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-6-2.