After opening-game loss to Douglas High, San Benito wins 3
straight at Las Vegas tournament
LAS VEGAS
The turning point came in the fifth inning.
With one out, and having previously trailed Galena High by a 6-1 margin, the San Benito Haybalers began to claw their way back in the fifth inning against the Reno, Nev., high school by stringing together hit after hit after hit.
After Ricky Garcia connected on an infield single, Ramiro Chapa and Kyle Zozaya followed with back-to-back doubles. Manager Michael Luna then pinch-hit Mark Hurley, Isaak Ramos and Trevor Fabing consecutively in the order, and each reached base with a single that led to a three-run fifth inning and brought the ‘Balers to within one run.
And while Chapa’s triple in the sixth completed the comeback, knotting the game at 6-all, Tyler Provost, Ramos, Fabing and Justin Schlie began the five-run seventh with four straight singles.
Although the Reno high school added one in the home half, San Benito’s large cushion – practically powered by the single – was enough for an 11-7 win and a 3-1 record at the 17th Annual Easter Classic in Las Vegas last week.
Chapa had six hits in just two games played, connecting with four hits and four RBI against Galena, including two singles, a double and a triple. Provost, meanwhile, had five hits in three games played, and had one at-bat in the opening game against Douglas High that lasted 17 pitches.
Provost eventually managed to draw a walk, but Douglas High of Minden, Nev., went on to win by a 10-4 margin last Wednesday.
“I would say two of the four teams – Douglas and Galena – were very, very, very good teams,” Luna said.
Not one to make excuses, Luna said the 12-day layoff – San Benito’s previous game was on April 4 at Gilroy – hurt the ‘Balers the most in their first game against Douglas.
“But Douglas was a good team,” Luna said. “They capitalized on our mistakes.”
Any rust was apparently shaken off following the defeat, however, as San Benito finished the elite tournament with three straight victories, including a 4-2 win over Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman 2 and a 13-4 victory Montclair Prep of Van Nuys.
Douglas, meanwhile, finished in third place after downing Vauxhall (Canada) 2-0 in the consolation game, while host Bishop Gorman, which is ranked No. 19 in the nation by USA Today, defeated Newberry Park (Calif.) 4-0 in the final.
Bishop Gorman outscored its five opponents at the tournament by an 89-4 margin, and even scored revenge on Newberry Park, which defeated the Las Vegas high school in the championship at last year’s tournament.
“Obviously, I would have liked to have played Bishop Gorman,” said Luna, adding that seven of Bishop Gorman’s starting nine stood 6-foot-2 or taller.
“I was very impressed by how physical they looked,” Luna said.
“The few innings I saw, they were very impressive, just the way they handled themselves and the way they approached the game.”
The ‘Balers (17-4-1) will return to Tri-County Athletic League play today, Tuesday, when they visit Everett Alvarez at 4 p.m. San Benito will play the Eagles again on Friday before traveling to Palma High in Salinas on Saturday.
With a two-game lead on Palma in the loss column and just eight games remaining, Saturday’s contest is a must-win for the Chieftains.
“So we’ve got to worry about Everett Alvarez first,” Luna said. “We still have to play the game.”
