Conference play opened in spectacular fashion for the Davis High freshman baseball squad as it crushed host El Camino in a 10-0 mercy-rule decision on March 26.

On Thursday, the Blue Devils faced the Eagles again, this time on the DHS varsity field, and prevailed, 3-2, to go 2-0 in league play. The locals then suffered a 7-4 loss on Friday in a nonconference make-up game against Lincoln.

Devil Noah Riffle looked fierce in last Tuesday’s league opener — allowing no runs on only two hits while striking out eight in five innings.

Meanwhile, Davis had hot bats early as Gavin Cosgrave’s liner to center drove in Alex Timmons and Peter Frame, who’d both gotten to base on errors. Josh Milenbach hit the first of his two doubles to move Cosgrave to third, and Glen Welch and Mason Shorts each contributed RBI grounders. Daniel Henrickson pounded a drive to center, but was left stranded to end the four-run opening frame.

In the third inning, Welch’s flare to right and James Richardson’s RBI — plus a slew of Eagle errors — resulted in three more tallies. Timmons blasted a ball down the third-base line for a double, continuing the Blue Devil assault in the fourth. Frame then plated Timmons on a single, Cosgrave’s sac fly drove in Frame, and Milenbach and Shorts both doubled — Shorts driving in the inning’s third run, widening the gap to 10-0.

Thursday’s rematch came in front of an enthusiastic home crowd on a picture-perfect day. Local pitcher Richardson went the distance, striking out six Eagles and holding them to only two runs on six hits.

Most of the offensive action took place in the first inning. Timmons and Shorts (who’d hit a shot down the left side) scored on Greg Rohnstock’s bobbled grounder to third, and Ray Young’s drive to center brought Rohnstock home, which gave DHS a lead it would hold through the final out.

Young (2-for-3) found a hole in left center in an otherwise quiet third inning, and Timmons (1-for-4) and Frame (2-for-4) scattered a few more hits throughout the game to bring the Devils’ hit total to six.

Friday’s game was a coulda-shoulda-woulda affair …

Davis had nine hits to the Trojans’ three and put 26 runners on base, but couldn’t produce the right combinations at the right times to score enough in the 7-4 loss.

On the plus side, Cosgrave’s bat was on fire (3-for-5) and Jake Guerrero found a hole in left to advance Young, who would eventually score in the third inning on a bobbled Richardson drive. Pierce Tujo, Rohnstock, Riffle, Young and Welch all added hits for the Blue Devils.

Milenbach, Tujo and Gabe Gutierrez handled pitching duties for DHS, holding the Trojans to just three hits, but walks and a few inopportune local fielding errors tipped the balance and sent Lincoln back to Stockton with the win.

After a Tuesday tilt with Rio Americano, the Devils travel Thursday from a road rematch with the Raiders (4:15 p.m.).

DHS JV girls soccer

Keeping their unbeaten season intact, the Blue Devils topped Franklin and Vacaville in recent games.

Going on the road Monday, Davis stopped their rival Wildcats, 5-0. This came after the Bulldogs fell, 2-1, on March 26.

Against Franklin, the first half was closely contested as both squads saw shots bounce off the crossbar.

The Devils finally broke through with the all-important first goal inside the last minute of the first period. Brooke Rosenblum broke free down the right wing and laid the ball back to Emily Torbert, who took a settling touch and launched a laser from 25 yards into the upper left corner of the net.

In the second half, the DHS back line and midfield — led by center backs Claire Buhlman and Melissa Teuber and defensive midfielders Marin Garcia and Annie Leck — did a better job of winning balls and maintaining possession. With more consistent pressure on the Wildcat goal, the locals broke down the FHS defense.

First, Hannah Thompson collected a loose ball at midfield and sliced through for blast that curved beautifully over the keeper to make it 2-0.

Makenna Rubinstein scored the next goal, which seemed to deflate the ’Cats, when she worked free at the top of the box and lofted in a floating shot that just dipped under the crossbar.

Later in the half, Buhlman delivered a long free kick from midfield that bounced free in the box to an open Katie Grahn, who punched in a shot from 12 yards. Torbert notched her second goal when she rounded the defense on the right side and sent in a long cross that eluded the leaping Wildcat keeper to finish the scoring.

Blue Devil keeper Mari O’Brien was forced to make a couple of key second-half saves, preserving the shutout.

DHS struggled to score against Vacaville, but — after several missed early scoring opportunities — the locals capitalized when the Bulldog keeper bobbled a well-taken corner by Leck. Thompson collected the loose ball in the box, created shooting space and tallied from 15 yards out.

After two shots off the crossbar, Davis added the eventual game-winner when Torbert skirted the left wing and sent in a cross that Alexis Olmedo deflected to an open Elsa Iverson, who turned and finished hard and low inside the far post.

Despite only two shots on goal for the match, the Bulldogs made it close in the second half when they chipped the ball over the Devil back line and won the race to the ball. DHS hit the crossbar three more times in the second half and had two breakaway opportunities snuffed out by the Bulldog goalie, keeping the game close.

DHS JV boys golf

With Garrett Scott-Henley of Harper Junior High carding a 37 and Utkarsh Uppal (also Harper) shooting a 39, the Blue Devils beat Wood, 241-269, last week.

DHS’ Clayton Webster’s 42 was joined by 44s from Harper’s Dylan Lee and Davis High’s Keerut Dhesi as the top five scores. Chris Gardias’ 45 hit the leaderboard with Ryan Gloudenman (46) and Tyler McGlone (48) right behind.

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DHS’ Gabe Gutierrez connects for a line drive to left in the fourth inning of a recent freshman game against Lincoln. The Blue Devils eventually fell, 7-4, at home. Courtesy photo

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