The San Benito baseball team called its games against Palma on Thursday and Friday the biggest — and most important — games of the year.
In 14 innings and two wins, the Balers proved why.
San Benito swept Palma with two victories, clinching its first winning record over the Chieftains in two years.
The victories propel the Balers atop the Tri-County Athletic League standings over two-loss teams Palma and Salinas. The wins give San Benito control of its own destiny.
“It makes it a lot easier for us and lot tougher for them,” game two starting pitcher Jake Cabral said. “You have to take as much as you can. That’s what we needed right there.”
San Benito opened the weekend with a 4-1 victory over the Chieftains on Thursday. In the win, designated hitter Jacob Tonascia went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a first-inning solo home run.
San Benito never trailed in the victory.
What followed Friday, though, was even more impressive.
In Salinas, San Benito used two innings to blow away Palma 11-2, claiming sole possession of first place.
Through the game’s first three innings, both teams traded opportunities. Off Palma ace Cameron Neff, San Benito threatened to score in the second inning.
The Balers loaded the bases after second baseman Marcus Sabatte led off the inning with a single into right field, shortstop Michael Breen and third baseman Craig Slibsager walked.
Three pitches later, San Benito catcher Daniel Gonzalez grounded to Palma shortstop Joey Schulman to end the inning.
Palma threatened to score in the third inning off San Benito starter Cabral. Designated hitter Anthony Payan hit a second-pitch fastball off the wall in deep left-center field for a lead-off double.
After the fastball, though, Cabral threw more off-speed pitches, he said. Cabral used his curveball to strike out the next batter and force an inning-ending double play to escape the threat.
“It was definitely a great advantage,” Cabral said of his curveball. “The guy before hit the ball off the fence with my fastball so I had to change them up somehow. So I had to somehow get my curveball working and when it did, it made a big difference. It was a game changer.”
In the next inning, the Balers carried that momentum over to the offensive side. With one out, first baseman Jose Guzman was hit with the second pitch he saw. Breen followed with a single – sending Guzman to second. After an out, Slibsager came to the plate.
Before the game, the usual No. 4 hitter for the Balers was dropped to the eighth spot after struggling at the plate.
On a full count, the senior lined a ball down the right-field line. Slibsager slid into third with a triple, driving in the game’s first two runs.
“That was big,” he said. “You have a couple guys on and you get one hit like that and you get momentum on your side. The game turns into a snowball fight. Once you get momentum on your side, everything starts working. You want to get into the other team’s bullpen and we just rallied after that.”
San Benito scored two more runs in the inning to build a 4-0 lead.
“That was such a big relief to me and the team,” Cabral said.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Chieftains — aided by three errors — finally solved Cabral and his curveball.
It was the only time Palma threatened to score during the game.
“What can you say about Cabral? He dominated,” Aviles said of his pitcher. “He pounded the zone and he pounded the zone all day.”
San Benito didn’t stop scoring, adding seven more runs in the seventh inning.
Seven of the inning’s first eight batter reached base for the Balers.
Guzman hit a three-run double over the head of Palma’s centerfielder Jack Ross to knock in the inning’s first runs. Two batters later – after a Breen hit – Slibsager pounded a 1-0 fastball over the left field fence for a three-run home run.
