Baseball, softball, swim finish CCS while track and field start
competition
SAN BENITO BASEBALL
Nearly three months removed from upending Bellarmine Prep at the
Crown Classic, in which they plated nine runs in the last four
innings to steal an 11-7 victory, the San Benito Haybalers found
themselves in a similar situation last Saturday.
Baseball, softball, swim finish CCS while track and field start competition
SAN BENITO BASEBALL
Nearly three months removed from upending Bellarmine Prep at the Crown Classic, in which they plated nine runs in the last four innings to steal an 11-7 victory, the San Benito Haybalers found themselves in a similar situation last Saturday.
The Balers trailed the Bells 8-3 in the final frame of Central Coast Section Division I quarterfinals, and were forced to mount yet another comeback.
Although Brian Haggett’s three-run homer brought San Benito to within two runs, it was as close as the Balers would get. No. 9 Bellarmine upset the top-seeded Haybalers, 8-6.
San Benito did manage to put the tying run at the plate, but just couldn’t plate the tying run.
“We put the tying run at the plate and that’s all you can ask for,” Manager Michael Luna said. “To get the tying run at the plate after being down by five shows a lot about the team’s character and their never-give-up attitude.”
San Benito completes their season with a 25-6 record.
The eight runs San Benito allowed tied for the most this season, as the Balers allowed eight runs against Valley Christian and Everett Alvarez earlier this year.
“We gave up 12 free bases and that’s what it came down to,” Luna said. “To give up 12 free bases, it’s tough enough as it is. But when you’re playing a quality team like Bellarmine, it’s almost impossible. We did give ourselves a chance, even though we we’re playing catch-up the entire game.”
The Balers trailed 4-0 after just two complete innings to open the contest, and it stayed that way until Kevin Burley’s solo home run in the fifth inning put San Benito on the scoreboard.
But the Bells bounced back once again, scoring a pair of runs in the following inning.
Luna said playing catch-up all game forced the Balers to play a “station-to-station” ball game, where they weren’t allowed to take chances, apply hit-and-runs or squeeze attempts.
“That’s what we like to do,” he said. “You’re limited to what you can do offensively (when playing from behind).”
The Balers got those two runs back when Haggett singled on in the sixth and later scored on a wild pitch at the plate, while Spencer Brann added another run in the inning when he hit an RBI single that plated Kyle Zozaya.
But San Benito’s strength – its pitching – struggled against Bellarmine, as Luna sent five hurlers to the mound. Zach Canez (1 1/3 IP, 4 R, 2 H, 3 HBP, 2 BB), Jacob Eichhorn (3 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB), Miles Sanchez (1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 HBP), Darin Gillies (2 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP) and Steve Cabral (1 IP, 1 BB) all threw on Saturday at PAL Stadium.
“Our strength the entire year has been our pitching and unfortunately it wasn’t there on Saturday,” Luna said.
With 10 seniors graduating this year, including Burley, Canez, Haggett, Sanchez, Ronnie Fhurong, Nathan Hopkins, Greg Huth, Abel Jacquez, Dane Lamanna and Bryan Scott, the Balers were poised to be playing in that final game.
But Luna said his team should hold their heads high nonetheless and be proud of their accomplishments, which included a No. 1 seed as well as a third straight league title.
“Those are some of the things they should take away,” Luna said. “After the game I was so proud of them.”
SAN BENITO SOFTBALL
After more than a week’s layoff in between games, the top-seeded San Benito Lady Balers sent No. 9 Evergreen Valley home 8-2 Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Central Coast Section Division I softball playoffs at the Salinas Sports Complex.
San Benito (26-4) played No. 5 Carlmont in Thursday’s semifinal match up at PAL Stadium in San Jose – a rematch of last year’s CCS Final in which the Lady Balers won, 2-1 – but the game took place after The Pinnacle’s press time.
On Saturday against Evergreen Valley, though, San Benito played a bend-but-don’t-break style that gave the Cougars (18-10-2) countless scoring chances throughout the game.
They committed four errors in the field and starting pitcher Marisa Ibarra allowed eight walks. But then again, when their backs were seemingly against the wall, the San Benito defense relied on the force-out play that stranded 15 Cougars on base, nine of whom were in scoring position, while Ibarra came through with nine strikeouts.
“We’ve talked all year about how many different ways we can win a game,” Manager Scott Smith said. “When you have a layoff like that and still win (the way we did), it reiterates to the kids that we better have a good practice.
“In hindsight, the way the game played out, I think it’s gonna help us down the stretch.”
Ibarra (7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 9 K, 8 BB) and the defense found their footing when it seemed to matter most, while clutch hitting from Bre Fata (3-for-4, 3 RBIs) and Lindsey Clay (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) supplied more than enough offense for the Lady Balers.
“Our offense came on and pulled it out,” Ibarra said. “I had everything I needed to pitch good for this game. It just wasn’t my day.”
SAN BENITO SWIMMING
The San Benito swim team was represented by three divers, nine individual swimmers and all six relay teams from the boys and girls squad combined last Saturday at the Central Coast Section Finals, and finished in 34th and 14th place, respectively.
Leading the Lady Balers, which improved upon their 15th-place standing from last year’s CCS meet, was Shelli Reed.
The junior swimmer qualified to the second day in two events, clocking a 24.27 in the 50 free and a 52.23 in the 100 free – the latter time received All-American Consideration (52.41) – and she finished in seventh and sixth place, respectively.
“We got faster but the field got even faster. Shelli posted her best times, but everyone got faster,” Coach Christine Schafer said. “[She was] excellent. She’s on track and she’s doing what she should be doing.”
Reed’s two top-eight finishes alone provided the Lady Balers with 25 of their 45 points at the CCS meet, and made San Benito the top Tri-County Athletic League team in the section.
The Baler boys saw Brandon Drogemuller advance to day two after he recorded a 4:46.14 in the 500-yard freestyle – good enough for 11th place.
In the finals, Drogemuller earned San Benito five points when he finished 12th in a time of 4:47.24.
Demi Gatrell, Katie Buzzetta, Megan Geary and Reed took 12th place in the 200 free relay (1:42.15) as well as the 400 free relay (3:43.62).
The season is now complete for the rather youthful San Benito swim team, which will see just a few graduate this year, including Buzzetta, Steven Shattuck, Andrew Yacovone and Mike Skiver.
SAN BENITO TRACK AND FIELD
Battling excessive heat and the cream of the track and field crop, the San Benito track team competed Saturday at the Central Coast Section Semifinals at Gilroy High.
Seeking top-eight finishes, San Benito managed to send three individuals and two relay teams to the finals, including Courtney Allen in the 1,600 (5:22.14), Ryan Shorey in the 400 (50.10), Austin Schmidt in the long jump (21-09) and 300 low hurdles (40.12), and both the boys 4×100 (43.60) and 4×400 (3:26.55) relay teams.
Those athletes will compete today, Friday, at the CCS Finals at Gilroy High. Only the top three finishers at the CCS Finals advance to state. Field events begin at 4 p.m., running events start at 6 p.m.
SAN BENITO SWIMMING
The San Benito swim team was represented by three divers, nine individual swimmers and all six relay teams from the boys and girls squad combined last Saturday at the Central Coast Section Finals, and finished in 34th and 14th place, respectively.
Leading the Lady Balers, which improved upon their 15th-place standing from last year’s CCS meet, was Shelli Reed.
The junior swimmer qualified to the second day in two events, clocking a 24.27 in the 50 free and a 52.23 in the 100 free – the latter time received All-American Consideration (52.41) – and she finished in seventh and sixth place, respectively.
“We got faster but the field got even faster. Shelli posted her best times, but everyone got faster,” Coach Christine Schafer said. “[She was] excellent. She’s on track and she’s doing what she should be doing.”
Reed’s two top-eight finishes alone provided the Lady Balers with 25 of their 45 points at the CCS meet, and made San Benito the top Tri-County Athletic League team in the section.
The Baler boys saw Brandon Drogemuller advance to day two after he recorded a 4:46.14 in the 500-yard freestyle – good enough for 11th place.
In the finals, Drogemuller earned San Benito five points when he finished 12th in a time of 4:47.24.
Demi Gatrell, Katie Buzzetta, Megan Geary and Reed took 12th place in the 200 free relay (1:42.15) as well as the 400 free relay (3:43.62).
The season is now complete for the rather youthful San Benito swim team, which will see just a few graduate this year, including Buzzetta, Steven Shattuck, Andrew Yacovone and Mike Skiver.
