Softball team splits doubleheader at College of the Sequoias
Gavilan baseball has been trying to get acclimated to the collegiate level all season. Coach Neal Andrade believes that adjustment period must now come to an end. It’s time for his team to start pulling out close contests.
“Some of the opponents we’re playing are good college baseball teams.” Andrade said. “[Our players] are seeing that we can compete at this level. But it’s about not being satisfied with competing.”
The Rams dropped two games last week, losing to Chabot 9-7 Thursday and 8-3 to West Valley Saturday. But with three games in four days to be played at home this week – starting today at 2 p.m. against Hartnell – Andrade thinks his team has an excellent chance to improve on its 6-9-1 record, 1-4 in Coast Conference play.
“It’s a good week for us to get back in there,” he said. “We got a good chance to get things rolling back in the right direction.”
Individuals that could play a role in rebounding include standouts from the game against Chabot. Chris Barber had five RBI, Tyler Osborne hit a home run and Joseph Vasquez pitched “a solid seven innings of work,” according to Andrade.
Alex Oberle was the starter against West Valley, throwing for six innings and allowing six runs. The game was far more even than the score would indicate, though, as Gilroy had just one less hit than West Valley’s 10, and committed one less error to their opponent’s two.
The Rams will face De Anza Thursday at 2 p.m. and then host San Jose City Saturday at Noon in a game that was originally scheduled to be on the road.
“The good thing about baseball is we don’t have to wait a whole week to get back on the field,” Andrade said. “It’s kind of tough when you get into a funk team-wise, but it can go the other way. Winning is contagious just like losing is.”
Gavilan softball
At Gilroy, the Gavilan Rams softball team strung together three straight wins before losing another tough contest last Saturday to College of the Sequoias, as they gave up five unearned runs in the top of the eighth and lost 8-3 in the second game of a doubleheader.
“It was kind of a tough one,” manager Nikki Dequin said. “But we definitely played well in our first game.”
Led by pitcher Danielle Hernandez on the mound, the Rams took the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader 8-2.
Gavilan had a chance to take two from College of the Sequoias, as Audra Brown tripled with one out in the bottom of the seventh with the game tied at 3-3.
But the Rams were unable to hit her home, and College of the Sequoias plated five unearned in the top half of the eighth.
