Sutter strikes often to earn date into D-V quarterfinals: Huskies host Lincoln today at Ruth Lowman Field

Sutter Union High’s Ruth Lowman Field is often considered hallowed grounds in the sport of softball.

Many championships have been won here and are still talked about within the small rural community of Sutter to this day.

Sutter’s last title was two years ago when the Huskies went 30-0 to capture the Northern California Division III Regional over Dixon – a majestic spring that saw several Huskies earn state awards across multiple platforms and media outlets through the early portion of the summer.

Sutter feels it has the talent to return to that state, and it started during Wednesday’s opening-round win over Galt, 10-0 in just 5-1/3 innings to kickoff the 2026 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V prep softball playoffs at Ruth Lowman Field on the campus of SUHS.

With the help of a five-hit shutout from junior starter Brooklyn Murphy and consistent opposite field approaches at the plate, led by two extra-base blasts from junior Malaina Wilder, the third-seeded Huskies routed No. 14 Galt, an at-large selection out of the Sierra Valley Conference, to advance into the D-V quarterfinals for a second straight year. Wilder got it going with a two-run blast over left-center off the first offering in the at-bat from sophomore hurler Evianna Barrera to kick-start the run. A little later, Wilder took the first pitch to right for a double, and later scored, to help guide back-to-back four-run spurts in the fifth and sixth innings to walk-off the Warriors with one out in the bottom of the sixth.

“Always takes one – Malaina’s home run started everything and we just ran with it,” Sutter head coach Taylor Ernst said. “We’ve been working on the outside pitch all season and I’m proud they executed it … We always hit it where it is pitched; if she’s throwing you (outside) then take that ball opposite field and good things happen from that.”

Sutter (19-8-1) will host No. 11 Lincoln for the first time in the MaxPreps era in the quarterfinals today (Friday) at 4 p.m. at Ruth Lowman Field with an opportunity to return to the SJS semifinals for the first time since that mystical 30-0 season in 2023.

“Our girls have worked to build to this moment,” Murphy said.

Ernst elaborated by remarking that the team wanted to make a statement on Wednesday to set the tone that Sutter is on the hunt for more hardware in 2026.

“The girls want it; they’ve worked hard from our first game until now,” Ernst said. “They’ve put in effort to make that advancement.”

Lincoln, co-champs of the Pioneer Valley League, upset No. 6 Ripon, 10-3 to earn its first date with Sutter at Ruth Lowman. The Fighting Zebras are 15-12-1 entering today.