Hollister High’s Liz Stewart said she was going to get a hit.
She picked a good time to back up her word.
Hollister High’s Liz Stewart said she was going to get a hit. She picked a good time to back up her word.
With one out in the bottom of the 10th inning of Thursday’s nail-biter with North Salinas, Stewart took a whack at a Monica Abbott riseball and ripped it past the Vikes first baseman to bring home Megan Smith for a 1-0 Baler win.
“That was the biggest hit I’ve ever had,” said Stewart. “I just swung the bat as fast as I could.”
Baler assistants Mike Maheu and Mike Barrientos ran the show in lieu of head coach Scott Smith, who had a business commitment.
“I told Liz I wanted to bunt her,” said Maheu. “She said, ‘Forget that!’, that she was going to get a hit.”
The victory was key for it put the Balers (19-8, 9-4) in second place, one game in front of the Vikings (18-7, 8-5) with two games to go in the regular season. In addition, it gives the Balers a rare win over a state-ranked team as North Salinas is currently ranked 17th in the state, sixth in NorCal. And this is the second time this season the Balers have outlasted the Vikes.
The final inning unfolded this way for the Balers. Megan Smith began the bottom of the 10th at second base as part of the international tiebreaker rule. Amy Baxter sacrificed Smith to third. Nashia Alvarez, who won Tuesday’s game in the 10th inning with a pinch-hit single against Gilroy, came off the bench and battled Abbott to a 2-2 count. Alvarez got the bunt down in fair territory as Smith held at third. The throw to first to get Alvarez was ruled to be wide and Alvarez was safe on the throwing error as North Salinas coach Keith Berg came out on the field to argue the call. After Alvarez stole second, Stewart singled home the winning run.
The Balers were outhit 7-3, but Dani Hernandez (12-5) went the whole way for the Balers and used an effective drop to keep the Vikings from home plate. The Baler defense played stellar behind Hernandez. The Vikes’ best opportunity was in the first inning when they had the bases loaded with no out, but Hernandez pitched out of the jam.
Abbott, who had 10 k’s, allowed singles to Baxter and Jenny Maheu and that was it.
The Balers are at Salinas on Tuesday, then host Notre Dame next Thursday in the final regular season game before Central Coast Section play.
