Le Grand softball team is ready to play for section Division 7 title
The Le Grand High softball team has been dominant in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 7 playoffs, winning 14-0 and 15-0 after getting a bye in Round 1.
The Bulldogs now face their toughest test, a championship game showdown with second-seeded Elliot Christian of Lodi on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Delta College in Stockton.
Elliot Christian went 6-0 to win the Mountain Valley League and is 11-3 overall. The Eagles also cruised into the title game with some impressive victories. Elliot Christian defeated 15th-seeded Valley Christian 15-5 in the opening round, downed seventh-seeded Vacaville Christian in the quarterfinals, and dominated sixth-seeded Golden Sierra 13-1 in the semifinals.
The Eagles are led by an outstanding freshman pitcher in Juliet Goodpasture, who allowed three runs and struck out 10 batters against Golden Sierra. She has a 2.30 ERA this season.
Le Grand counters with star junior pitcher Ava Avila, who has an 0.56 ERA and 213 strikeouts this season. Avila is also great at the plate, with a .620 batting average. She is leading the team in home runs (9) and RBIs (55).
The Bulldogs went 12-0 to win the Southern League and are 18-7 overall. Le Grand last won a section championship in 2024. Avila was a freshman on that team.
The Le Grand team will be getting a send-off at 7 a.m. Saturday at the high school and a CHP escort on the way to Highway 99 for the trip up to Stockton, according to a Le Grand Bulldogs Athletics Facebook post.
