Baler roundup
n By NATHAN MIXTER Sports Editor
The San Benito girls golf team won its first fourth consecutive match Tuesday in a Tri-County Athletic League meet at Cordevalle Golf Club.
The Haybalers came in three strokes ahead of Gilroy with a 201 in the wet conditions. Salinas had a 210, Live Oak had a 225 and Alvarez didn’t have enough players. Lindsey Shean, of Salinas, shot a low of 39.
The Baler golfers finished real close with their scores. Corryn Pacheco led the way with a 49. Marissa Gutierrez had a 50 and Megan Smith and Johni Kiesewetter shot a 51. The non qualifying scores were Rachelle Barrientos (52) and Danielle Shelton (56).
San Benito was scheduled to play a dual meet against Notre Dame at Corral de Tierra Golf Course between Salinas and Monterey Thursday.
Coach Mark Tinder found out early in the day that the meet had been canceled because rain had canceled the TCAL meet scheduled earlier in the week. He had already called the players to make sure they were ready to go then had to call them back and tell them it was canceled.
Notre Dame and San Benito are both competing for second place. Thursday’s meet winner will be decided by the first nine holes of the league finals Monday at the Salinas Country Club.
Through Monday, both San Benito and Notre Dame were tied for third place with 25 points behind RLS with 30 points and Santa Catalina with 27. Gilroy was fourth with 24.
“We’re working together as a team, and we’re peaking at the right time,” Tinder said. “We’ve played well on that golf course. Our battle plan is to be consistent with our counting scoring. If No. 3s and 4s do well for our team, we should do well. In the last four matches, the No. 3 and No. 4 golfers were consistent and we have won. Everyone’s helping each other and maintaining that positive attitude.”
Monday’s league finals will be worth double the regular league points. The winner receives 18, the runner gets 16 and so on. There is a noon shotgun start.
It will be tough to catch frontrunner RLS, but Tinder expects his team to have a good chance of finishing second or tied for second for a chance at the at-large bid to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Last year, San Benito finished second but didn’t qualify as a team. If the Balers don’t make it as a team, Tinder expects Pacheco, a senior, and Gutierrez, a freshman, to have a good chance to make it individually.
Tennis
Salinas – The San Benito girls tennis team lost to league frontrunner Salinas 4-3 Thursday at Hartnell College.
The Haybalers (8-6, 3-4 TCAL) were defeated 5-2 the first time around. Salinas has defeated Notre Dame twice. San Benito also lost 4-3 against Notre Dame.
The Balers won three of four singles matches but were swept in the doubles.
No. 1 Danielle Burke continued her hot streak this year with a 6-3, 7-6 victory. No. 2 Jamie Huston won 7-5, 6-4. No. 3 Vanessa Martinez lost 7-5, 2-6 (10-8), and No. 4 Mary Von Urff won 6-3, 6-2.
In doubles, No. 1 Megan Kirk and Alyssa Panecho lost 3-6, 5-7, No. 2 Tracy Hopkins and Kaitlyn O’keef lost 4-6, 3-6 and No. 3 Michelle Rovella and Rebecca Williams lost 3-6, 2-6. 6-3.
The game against North Salinas on Tuesday was rained out and was rescheduled for Monday. It was originally scheduled to be at Ridgemark, but will probably be played at North Salinas because Ridgemark is resurfacing the court, said coach Ed Cecena.
