San Benito loses season final to Palma; waits to hear about
CCS
After Monday’s Tri-County Athletic League game, the Palma and San Benito baseball teams could almost be switched around in the standings.
Ever since clinching the league championship, Palma hasn’t been on top of its game, and San Benito had won five games in a row coming in. San Benito started the streak off with a 7-6 victory over Palma.
“They are probably the hottest team right now coming down the stretch,” said Palma coach Phil Giammanco. “It is tough to beat them any day, especially here, and especially when they are hot. I wouldn’t want to face them in the playoffs.”
Although the Haybalers were on the other side of a 7-6 game Tuesday, they were never out of it, rallying right until the last pitch.
“We’ve been playing more as a team,” said junior Anthony Vasquez. “We have come together a lot recently. We haven’t had the bad inning that we had before, and we’ve been clicking in the second half.”
The Central Coast Section playoff seeding meeting is Saturday. The Balers, who finished the second half of the season with a 5-1 record, have a .500 record both in league and overall needed to qualify, and they should have enough points as well.
“If we would have played like this in the first half, we would be right up there,” said Baler coach Derek Barnes. “(This game) came down to who was able to capitalize on the other’s mistakes.”
The Balers (16-13, 8-7 TCAL) were down by their biggest margin of the game at 7-4 after Palma scored three runs in the seventh inning.
But San Benito answered back and had a chance to win the game.
Anthony Vasquez led off the inning with a walk. Gabe Gaitan came in to run and advanced to second on a passed ball.
Brett Fulgoni had a base hit through the middle. Pinch hitter Mike Lango, who has some pop in his bat, brought in a run with a long sacrifice fly to center field.
Justin Patton, who had come on in relief of Jason Sims in the top of the inning, hit a ball up the middle for a hit. Scott Mead made it 7-6 with a ball hit hard on the ground. The first baseman dove for it, but the ball found an opening.
“We’ve been hitting the ball hard,” Fulgoni said. “We haven’t been losing hope. We believe in ourselves. Now instead of getting down when we give up three runs, we know we have to score four.”
San Benito took an early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. Vasquez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Fulgoni hit a sacrifice fly.
The Balers featured some nice defense in the game. Catcher Anthony Synegal picked off a runner early in the game with a high throw that second baseman Drew Quintana was able to pull in and get the tag down.
And in the fifth inning after a brief conference at the mound, Sims picked off a runner at first. The umpires confided to make sure the ball was live. It was, and he was out.
Palma scored a pair of runs in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead. One run scored on a bases-loaded walk, and one was driven in with a single by Jacob Flores.
The Balers had a good chance to break open the game in their half of the third inning. With the bases loaded, Fulgoni was hit by a pitch to tie the game at three, even though pitcher Danny Ramiro adamantly protested that Fulgoni didn’t get out of the way.
After a couple strikeouts, Palma shortstop Jordan Cassas made a nice play ranging to his right to get to a ball hit deep in the hole by Sims. Cassas made a quick throw to the third baseman to get the force and leave the bases loaded.
In the sixth inning, Palma took a 4-3 lead after a long shot by Flores over the left field fence.
“It was really the only bad pitch I threw all day,” Sims said. “It was the game breaker. I was trying to throw it on the outside, but I got it in too much.”
Sims reached on an error in the bottom of the sixth inning. He was replaced by John Corona, who immediately stole second and third base. And Mead tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
With two outs, Carlos Nieto came on to pitch. He gave up a four-pitch walk to Synegal. But Klauer hit a ball heading toward the left field line, but it hit the runner at third base for the final out.
Nieto (3-0) got the win after the Chieftains came up with a three-run seventh capped by a two-RBI double by Barry Knappe.
Ramiro, whose only loss in league was against San Benito, left in the sixth inning with a no-decision.
“He didn’t spot the ball as well today,” said Giammanco of Ramiro. “He usually can get guys out with offspeed stuff. We don’t really have anyone overpowering like Sims.”
If the Balers could have won the game, they could have moved into third place ahead of Gilroy, who lost 15-14 in a wild game at Live Oak.
