SB baseball sits all alone atop TCAL
Once again the San Benito High baseball team, winners of the
last three Tri-County Athletic League titles, is in a very enviable
position.
After 10-running North Salinas for the second time in as many
games
– the Balers beat the Vikings 11-1 in five innings on Tuesday,
13-2 on Saturday – San Benito received some helpful news that broke
a one-loss tie atop the TCAL as Gilroy defeated Palma 8-2.
SB baseball sits all alone atop TCAL
Once again the San Benito High baseball team, winners of the last three Tri-County Athletic League titles, is in a very enviable position.
After 10-running North Salinas for the second time in as many games – the Balers beat the Vikings 11-1 in five innings on Tuesday, 13-2 on Saturday – San Benito received some helpful news that broke a one-loss tie atop the TCAL as Gilroy defeated Palma 8-2.
The Chieftain loss puts the Balers all alone in first place at 7-1, with Palma at 8-2 and Gilroy at 6-2.
San Benito will host Gilroy today, Friday, while Salinas (5-3 TCAL) will host Palma.
“We could really create some distance before Easter break if we play really good ball and we’re able to sweep Gilroy,” San Benito manager Michael Luna said. “But I’m sure the win over Palma will give them some momentum heading into Friday.”
San Benito’s shortened contest on Tuesday, though, allows Luna to use any one of his pitchers for the two-game series this weekend against the Mustangs.
Tuesday’s starter Jacob Eichhorn dominated North Salinas (3-7 TCAL) through three innings of work, allowing just two hits while striking out six.
“He was very, very good today,” Luna said. “He only faced 12 batters and threw first-pitch strikes to 10 of the 12 batters he faced.”
Eichhorn was only slated to throw two innings, but with San Benito only up 1-0 after those two innings – Kyle Zozaya connected on an RBI single in the first to score Mark Hurley – Luna kept Eichhorn in to pitch the third as well.
And by that time, the Balers held a 5-0 lead and Eichhorn had only thrown 50 pitches.
“I wanted to have all of our pitchers for Friday and Saturday,” Luna said, “and we do now.”
Certainly not wanting to look past the Vikings or even take them lightly – San Benito only led 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth in Saturday’s game – the Balers wanted to compete Tuesday “like it was Game 7,” Luna said.
Carrying a 1-0 lead to the third, San Benito jumped on North High for four runs, sparked by a Steve Cabral RBI single that plated an additional run following a fielding error.
With Cabral on second, Tyler Provost followed with an RBI single, while Isaak Ramos then connected on a ground-rule double to score Provost.
The Balers tacked on another run in the next inning on another RBI single from Cabral, while San Benito pocketed five runs in the fifth to build an 11-0 lead.
Ramos and Spencer Brann singled on to start the inning and Darin Gillies trailed with a walk to load the bases. Following a wild pitch that scored Ramos from third and a Mark Hurley sacrifice that scored Brann, Ricky Garcia hit an infield single to score Gillies all the way from second base.
“He kept on running,” Luna said, “and he caught the first baseman off guard.”
Kyle Zozaya then made it a 10-run game when he punched an RBI single into left, and Cabral came through with his third RBI of the game off yet another single to left field.
In relief, Kyle Vallejo closed out the mercy-rule victory for San Benito, throwing the last two innings. Vallejo allowed one run on one hit while walking one.
Luna had not decided upon a starting pitcher for Friday’s game against Gilroy, although he did say he was leaning toward Gillies, who pitched five innings during last Friday’s 16-5 win over Salinas.
First pitch against Gilroy Friday will be at 4 p.m.
SBHS Swimming
Shelli Reed, Celina Stotler and the Lady Baler 4×400 free relay posted Central Coast Section qualifying times, and the San Benito High swim team charged past visiting Alisal last Friday to a pair of easy dual meet victories.
The Lady Balers defeated Alisal 153-19, while the Baler boys topped the Trojans 132-24.
“We’re into our plans of hard training and we’re gonna keep going,” San Benito head coach Christine Schafer said.
“I’m extremely pleased with where they are at this point in the season.”
Reed’s 24.97 in the 50 free and Stotler’s 5:34.70 were both good enough for CCS, while the 400 free relay team of Reed, Stotler, Demi Gatrell and Lacey Larson qualified as well, clocking a 3:53.82.
San Benito will visit Hartnell College on Wednesday (diving) and Friday (swimming) to take on both Palma and Notre Dame in TCAL action.
“We’re still gonna train hard and look toward TCAL’s,” Schafer said.
SBHS Softball
The Lady Balers have silenced their last three opponents, shutting out Salinas (3-0 W) and Everett Alvarez (4-0 W) last week, as well as visiting Alisal (15-0 W) on Monday.
Although statistics from Monday’s game were not provided at press time, and Wednesday’s contest at Notre Dame took place after The Pinnacle’s press time, starting pitcher Marisa Ibarra was nearly perfect in her two games against Salinas and Alvarez.
Behind a combined 14 innings of work over those two games, Ibarra allowed three hits and struck out 21 batters she faced.
Last Tuesday at Salinas, in a game that was scoreless into the fourth inning, Jessica Vest connected on an RBI single to break the tie and later scored on a throwing error, while Jessica Steigleman sacrificed Bre Fata home in the following frame to make it 3-0 Lady Balers. JC Clayton later followed with an RBI single for a four-run cushion.
San Benito started the scoring sooner in their game against Alvarez, jumping on the Eagles for three runs in the first three innings, including a sacrifice from Fata that scored Clayton and an RBI single from Vest in the third.
At the Charlie Miguel Invitational, the Lady Balers went 3-1 with pool-play victories over Evergreen Valley (3-1), Los Gatos (7-0) and Valley Christian (13-0) before falling 4-1 to Piedmont Hills in bracketed play.
SBHS Track and Field
Dedicating the race to his grandfather, who passed away the previous week, San Benito’s 110-meter hurdler Evan McFadden sprinted to a personal-record 15.88 seconds for fourth place in his heat last Saturday at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto.
One of the more elite invites of the track season, the Stanford Invitational brought teams from all over, including Oregon, Idaho and Southern California, to Cobb Track and Angell Field on the Palo Alto campus last Friday and Saturday.
San Benito sent four relay teams, including the boys’ 4×100 (44.71, 7th in heat), the boys’ 4×400 (3:29.38, 5th in heat), the boys’ 4×800 (8:20.66, 3rd in heat) and the boys’ distance medley (11:07.52, 7th in heat).
Other competitors included Courtney Allen, who finished 14th in her one-mile race in 5:26.44; and Frankie Martinez, who threw 133-08 in the discus to finish 19th in his flight.
San Benito’s scheduled meet against Salinas on Thursday took place after The Pinnacle’s press time.
SBHS Boys Tennis
After falling to rival Salinas 5-2 last Tuesday, the San Benito High boys’ tennis team rebounded and strengthened their second-place standing in league behind a 5-2 win at Gilroy last Thursday.
Top singles player Derek Panger lost to Vinh Vong 2-6, 5-7, but San Benito’s No. 2 Mark Tobias picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win against Oliver Drewry. Kyle Skinner then downed Mustang Ryan Azad 7-5, 6-0, while No. 4 Austin Pan upended Gilroy’s Joseph Leong 6-1, 6-3.
In doubles, San Benito’s Jon Rudolfs and Michael Jensen beat Mitch Souza and Andrew Costa 7-5, 6-4. The No. 2 team of Josh Greenwood and Tony Culler fell to Zach Singh and Jared Besson 1-6, 6-7 (2-7), but No. 3 Connor Bray and Eric Johnson secured the win with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Alex Medina and Kevin Lee.
The Balers’ scheduled match against Watsonville Tuesday was not reported at press time.
SBHS Boys Golf
Coming off their first-place tie with Palma at the previous Tri-County Athletic League Tournament, the San Benito High boys golf team cracked into the 180s once again last Tuesday at the Gilroy Golf Course.
The problem was, Palma cracked into the 170s.
Led by medalist Matt Ogden, the Chieftains compiled a 178 and narrowly defeated San Benito’s 189 last Tuesday, one day after the Balers took first place with a 147 at the two-person best ball Gilroy Invitational at Eagle Ridge Golf Club.
“We shoot a low number and Palma shoots an even lower number,” San Benito head coach Reggie Synegal said.
“But we’ve got to feel good about shooting a number like that.”
Will Cross led San Benito with a 1-under 34 on the front nine at last week’s TCAL Tournament, though, while Diego Navarro returned to the lineup to shoot a 35.
Nathan Winn and Derell Aton each carded 39’s, while San Benito was rounded out by Marcus Synegal’s 42 and Joey Amaral’s 45.
“We like the way we’re playing,” Reggie Synegal said.
San Benito’s scheduled TCAL Tournament on Wednesday at the Laguna Seca Golf Club took place after The Pinnacle’s press time.
