Hollister
– Taking care of business was the theme of the week for the San
Benito baseball team.
Hollister – Taking care of business was the theme of the week for the San Benito baseball team.
Fresh off a 13-0 win over Alisal on Wednesday, the Haybalers finished off a solid week of Tri-County Athletic League play Friday by beating visiting Alvarez 12-0.
“It was a team that we thought we should beat,” San Benito coach Michael Luna said. “We got our jobs done. We did what we expected to do.”
Michael Garcia pitched four scoreless innings to earn the win and the ‘Balers (15-3, 4-1 TCAL) banged out 10 hits while scoring in every inning before the game was stopped in the fifth due to the mercy rule.
“We don’t want to overlook anybody,” San Benito second baseman Brian Haggett said. “It was good to come out and get some swings in and get some confidence.”
Haggett got the ‘Balers offense going with two outs in the first inning when the left-handed slugger laced the first pitch the opposite way for a towering home run.
San Benito then piled on in the second inning.
With the bases loaded and one out and a full count on Dane Lamonna, the pitch sailed behind his head, but hit off his bat and rolled into fair territory. Alvarez pitcher Tony Mendoza stumbled off the mound to chase after it and when he got to the ball he looked to first before throwing home and Ronnie Fhurong just beat the throw.
Justin Andrade followed with an RBI walk, Kolton Klauer delivered an RBI single to center, Haggett was hit by a pitch to score a run and Bryan Scott made it 7-0 with a long sacrifice fly.
San Benito put the game out of reach in the third. The first two hitters were retired, but Kyle Zozaya got the rally started with a single. Lamonna followed with a single and Andrade was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Klauer then delivered his second run-scoring single of the game and Haggett blasted a two-run double to make it 11-0.
“One of the things I was really proud of was that we had nobody on and two outs and scored four runs,” Luna said.
The ‘Balers put their final tally on the board in the fourth when Kevin Gonzales doubled, moved to third on a Nathan Hopkins single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Burley.
Miles Sanchez took the mound in the fifth in relief of Garcia, who allowed four hits and struck out five. Sanchez hit a batter and issued a walk before closing out the game for San Benito, which enters a two-week break from league play in a tie for first place after Gilroy upset Salinas 6-2 Friday. The Mustangs, Cowboys and ‘Balers all sit at 4-1.
“We’re five games into league and I was hoping to be either 5-0 or 4-1,” Luna said. “So we’re right where we want to be.”
TCAL play doesn’t resume until San Benito travels to face North Salinas at 4pm April 17, but the ‘Balers will stay busy during the break.
San Benito faces Palo Alto at 2pm today in the opener of the Serra Knights of Columbus Tournament. The ‘Balers then take on host Serra at 3:30pm Monday and play Half Moon Bay at 1pm Tuesday. There could be more games in that tournament depending on how they fare and then San Benito will tackle the Valley Christian/San Jose Sharks Crown Classic beginning April 7.
“We’ve got two really big tournaments coming up, especially the Valley Christian tournament,” Luna said. “They’re a good test, a good challenge for us.”
Alvarez 000 00 – 0 4 1
San Benito 164 1x – 12 10 0
Mendoza, Van Schuyver (2), Munoz (5) and Blackwell. M. Garcia, Sanchez (5) and Zozaya, R. Garcia.
2B – Haggett (SB), Gonzales (SB). HR – Haggett (SB). Two hits – Klauer (SB), Haggett (SB).
