San Benito 14-year olds thump Lodi in Babe Ruth Central
California semis; hosts can take state title with win Thursday
Hollister – The winning train is only gaining momentum.
The fine-tuned engine that is the San Benito Babe Ruth 14-year-old All-Star team keeps steamrolling along, thoroughly dominating another opponent that lay in its tracks Tuesday night. And for San Benito, that 6-1 victory over Lodi at Veteran’s Memorial Park signaled another destination the team is about to reach.
Next stop – the Central California state championship game.
The textbook victory over Lodi, a win that featured top-notch pitching, timely hitting and error-free defense, landed San Benito in Thursday’s title contest and gave the team the opportunity to achieve another one of its lofty objectives.
“Our first goal was to win district,” San Benito right fielder Nick Acosta said. “Now, state. Then, hopefully will be regionals.”
San Benito jumped ahead early, scoring three runs in the first inning before Lodi could even get settled. After Chad Whitehead and Justin Terrill recorded one-out singles, third baseman Kyle Zozaya walked to load the bases. Lodi starter Jonathan Haley walked Ryan Sabbatini to force in the first run, and then Acosta and Justin Schlie connected on RBI singles to give the hosts a 3-0 lead seven batters into the game.
“It was huge,” Whitehead said of the fast start. “Our goal is pretty much to get ’em down early and keep ’em down. (Lodi’s) confidence was up because … they’d been winning a lot of games.”
With left-hander Anthony Alvarez on the hill, the early cushion was more than enough for San Benito in this semifinal contest. Alvarez breezed through the Lodi lineup the first time through, not even allowing a ball to be hit to the outfield.
The airtight defense that had keyed the team’s 15-1 and 10-0 victories over the weekend was again on display against Lodi. Zozaya and shortstop Whitehead were busy throughout, confidently scooping up grounders and helping Alvarez keep the bases clear.
Asked the key to the success of San Benito’s pitching staff, Alvarez said, “Just to throw strikes. To keep the ball down. We throw a lot of strikes (and) let our defense do the rest.”
San Benito scored two more in the third, benefiting from an RBI double by Acosta and a daring base-running play that allowed Acosta to cross the plate before Lodi could tag out base-runner Kyle Vallejo.
Lodi put runners at second and third with one out in the sixth, but a strikeout and an infield flare that Whitehead ran down kept the visitors off the board. Lodi finally touched Alvarez with a walk and two singles in the seventh for a run that completed the scoring.
San Benito’s left hander tossed a complete game, allowing just four singles while striking out six.
“Our pitching and our defense have been the key,” San Benito manager Stephen Ferranti said, “and that showed tonight.”
The hosts totaled seven hits and six walks, seeing six different players score its runs.
San Benito earned a day off with its win and awaits the Northwest Bakersfield–Lodi winner from today’s final elimination game in the losers’ bracket. The championship game starts Thursday at 5pm.
With its 3-0 record in the tournament, San Benito would advance to the Western Regions with a victory in either that contest or the 7:30 game that would be played only if the hosts fall in the 5pm contest.
“It’s been our goal,” Ferranti said of the Central California title. “It’s just something that … we hope that we keep playing well and it happens.”
