Mark de la Motte had his end of the year speech ready if needed. The Turlock High baseball coach could save it at least one more day as the Bulldogs rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to cap a wild 5-4 win over Buhach Colony in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 South playoffs on Monday at the University of the Pacific's Klein Family Field.

Missed opportunities spoiled Buhach Colony's comeback bid as the Pitman Pride held on for a 5-4 win on Saturday in the third round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 South baseball playoffs at the University of the Pacific's Klein Family Field.

Madilyn Nickles was admittedly nervous.

The Merced High freshman pitcher was making her playoff debut, toeing the rubber on Saturday morning against Roseville.

Bart McAfee knows nothing comes easy in Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 softball playoffs. The Bears' 10-day layoff, the overnight stay in Sacramento for the 10 a.m. start and the fact that Merced's prom falls on the same night for the second straight year all form a kind of perfect storm of distraction.

Afolabi Olabode uncorked a throw of 59 feet, 8 inches to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 championship at Elk Grove High on Friday night. Golden Valley teammate Ryan Pust also won, the last one of the day, by clearing 15-1 in boys pole vault.

Buhach Colony's 4x100 boys relay team of Matthew Moreno, Chandler Jefferson, DeAngelo Andrews and Jayce Webster finished first, tying the top time in the section this year with a time of 42.15 seconds.

There's no doubt where Greg Wakefield's focus will be when his Buhach Colony High baseball team takes the field tonight for its Sac-Joaquin Section third-round playoff game with league rival Pitman.