Lady ‘Balers learn the benefits of solid play in the field;
score 1-0 victory over mighty Leigh
Hollister – Yes, hitting is the glamorous part of the sport. And solid pitching often makes the headlines, too. But San Benito softball coach Scott Smith knows that the difference between wins and losses for his Haybalers lies in a less-heralded aspect of the game.
“The key for us is playing defense,” Smith said. “The team that makes the fewest errors wins.”
After an error-marred performance led to a 7-2 loss at Notre Dame last week, Smith shuffled his defense heading into the first weekend of the Wilcox–Mission College Tournament. And the changes paid off immediately.
San Benito (13-2, 2-2 TCAL) used strong hitting to win its first two games, dispatching Milpitas and Palo Alto. But it was the ‘Balers’ 1-0 victory against highly-regarded Leigh on Saturday that showed the team just what it is capable of when it pairs solid defense with its usual strong pitching.
Facing one of the Central Coast Section’s top pitchers in Longhorns senior Jackie Hill, San Benito knew it would have to play a near-flawless game to stand a chance of winning. Hill and the Longhorns entered the tournament without having allowed any runs on the year, spurring the team to an 11-game winning streak.
But the young ‘Balers proved that they are a team to be reckoned with as well. San Benito’s revamped defense paid big dividends, committing just one error in the tight contest.
Meanwhile, ‘Balers starter Marissa Ibarra didn’t shy away from her match-up with Hill, belying her freshman inexperience. Leigh (12-2) tested Ibarra right out of the gate, loading the bases in the first inning with no outs. But the San Benito starter promptly recorded a pop-up, a strikeout and a groundout to get the ‘Balers out of the inning unscathed.
Smith raved about Ibarra’s composure.
“The whole game, (the Longhorns) didn’t hit one ball to the outfield,” Smith said. “She just pitched phenomenal. You just can’t say enough about her performance.”
San Benito got the only run it needed in the second when Lizzy Gatto singled, stole second, and scored on Lindsay Clay’s single to center.
After switching sophomore Elena Fata to shortstop, moving freshman Jacqueline Clayton to third base and rotating Kristen Archuleta to second (and even to center field, with Bre Fata playing second), the ‘Balers believe they found a winning defensive combination in the tournament.
Two days after their sloppy performance against Notre Dame, the ‘Balers had won three in a row, defeating mighty Leigh to cap the weekend.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction for us,” Smith said. “They believe now that they can compete with anybody.”
San Benito defeated Milpitas 5-2 in its first game of the tournament, with Archuleta driving in two runs to break up a 2-2 tie. Behind nine Haybaler hits, Ibarra secured a complete-game victory over the Trojans.
Home runs by Elena Fata and Clayton led the team’s 11-hit effort against Palo Alto, a 6-0 win for San Benito.
The 3-0 weekend vaulted the ‘Balers into the tournament’s championship bracket and a 5pm date with Santa Teresa in the quarterfinals tonight. A win sends San Benito to a semifinal contest against the Lynbrook–Milpitas winner at 11am on Saturday. All the games will be played at Mission College in Santa Clara.
With the Ibarra–Sam Filice pitching tandem allowing just two extra-base hits all season and the ‘Baler bats providing consistent production, Smith believes that strong play in the field will continue to translate into San Benito victories.
“Who can play defense and not give the team extra outs? If we can do that,” Smith said, “we’re going to be tough.”
