San Benito scored in five different innings and got five shutout
innings from Nathan Hopkins to post a 5-0 win Tuesday over Half
Moon Bay in the final pool play game of the Knights of Columbus
Serra Spring Classic.
San Benito scored in five different innings and got five shutout innings from Nathan Hopkins to post a 5-0 win Tuesday over Half Moon Bay in the final pool play game of the Knights of Columbus Serra Spring Classic.
“He had a pretty good day,” Haybalers coach Michael Luna said of Hopkins, who also went 2-for-3 with an RBI. “He only threw 52 pitches.”
San Benito went 2-1 in Pool 1, finishing second to advance to the semifinals. The ‘Balers will play Los Altos at 3pm today at College of San Mateo. The Eagles beat Bellarmine Prep 5-3 to take the top spot in Pool 2. The Bells face Serra in the other semifinal.
Kevin Burley got the offense going in the second inning when he blasted a solo home run. The ‘Balers (17-4) scored again in the third when Zach Canez reached on an error, was sacrificed to second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a Brian Haggett groundout.
San Benito kept it going when Kyle Zozaya hit a one-out double in the fourth and scored on one of Hopkins’ two singles. Canez then led off the third with a triple and scored on a wild pitch and Dane Lamonna, who had been hit by a pitch, scored on a groundout by Kevin Medeiros.
Hopkins allowed just two hits during his five innings, both coming as leadoff doubles.
In the third, he escaped a one-out, runner at third jam by recording two strikeouts. In the fifth, Half Moon Bay (2-14) put runners at second and third with one out, but two groundouts to Canez at short ended the inning.
Kevin Eichhorn and Medeiros both pitched scoreless innings to finish out the game.
“They needed to get some work because both Eichhorn and Medeiros are going to pitch extensively at least one game this week,” said Luna, whose team plays the next two days and also has two games Saturday when the open the Valley Christian/San Jose Sharks Crown Classic.
If San Benito ends up facing Bellarmine in either the finals or the third-place game of the tournament, it could possibly be moved to Hollister at 4pm at the request of both schools. There is also a possibility that regardless of Wednesday’s outcomes, the ‘Balers and Bells could square off, a situation both teams would prefer as opposed to facing a team they’ve already seen in the tournament.
For Wednesday’s semifinal against Los Altos, Luna is still deciding between starting Steve Cabral or Miles Sanchez. Michael Garcia is the likely starter for Thursday’s game.
“They’re an awfully good team,” Luna said of Los Altos. “The M.O. on them is they’re very good defensively, have a couple good arms and one through nine all swing it pretty good.”
San Benito 011 120 0 – 5 8 0
Half Moon Bay 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
