Tyler Provost, Kyle Zozaya, Ramiro Chapa and Steve Cabral all
connect on home runs as San Benito silences Silver Creek in the
first round of the CIF-Central Coast Section Division I baseball
playoffs on Wednesday in Hollister; starting pitcher Darin Gillies
allows one hit over five innings, dedicates game to former SBHS
teacher Philip Clark, who passed away last weekend
HOLLISTER
The difference from last year’s game, San Benito catcher Kyle Zozaya said on Wednesday, was that the Haybalers didn’t jump on Silver Creek in the first inning.
“Last year, we got at it right away,” said Zozaya, who recalled San Benito’s six-run first inning last season against the Raiders. “This year we waited a little too long, but we still got the job done.”
And really, that’s where the differences ended.
Garnering the No. 1 seed for the second straight season, playing host to No. 16 Silver Creek for the second straight season, the ‘Balers attacked by land and by air and coasted to a convincing 9-0 victory in the first round of the CIF-Central Coast Section Division I baseball playoffs in Hollister.
Similar to last season’s 11-1 rout over the Raiders in the first round, in which San Benito connected on six hits, three of which came via the long ball, the ‘Balers displayed an unmatched sense of timing and power against Silver Creek on Wednesday, ripping eight hits – half of which were home runs.
“After the first inning, we started to make the adjustments more,” Zozaya said. “We just needed to see the ball longer.”
Sticking with the similarities, San Benito (25-5-1) will play No. 8 Bellarmine (22-10) in Saturday’s quarterfinal round at Washington Park in Santa Clara after the Bells defeated Oak Grove 8-1 on Wednesday. It will mark the third time in as many seasons the two teams have met up, with Saturday’s game being the rubber match three years in the making.
First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Prior to Bellarmine’s victory over Oak Grove, though, some of the San Benito players didn’t have any preference as to which team they’d play next.
“It doesn’t matter,” third baseman Tyler Provost said. “It’s baseball and any team can win on any given day. We just have to play our game.
“It’d probably feel good to play [Bellarmine] again, but we still have to play our game, no matter what.”
San Benito’s game on Wednesday involved deep shots to all parts of the field, and Provost got things started in the home half of the second when he launched a 2-2 pitch to dead center field for a solo homer and a 1-0 lead.
“It was a hanging curve ball,” Provost said.
“We were just thinking … stay balanced.”
That’s because Silver Creek starter Taylor Crawford (4.1IP, 4H, 4R, 3K, 1BB), who pitched in last year’s game against San Benito, was finding the strike zone early in the count with off-speed pitches, forcing the ‘Balers to adjust, manager Michael Luna said.
“The difference this year was that he got his breaking ball and changeup over for strikes,” Luna said. “Our philosophy in general is to not go after off-speed pitches early in the count unless he can prove to throw them for strikes.
“We had to make those adjustments. And in the fourth inning, it started paying off.”
Leading off the fourth, Zozaya took the second pitch he saw from Crawford and lifted a solo shot over the left field fence, while the ‘Balers exploded in the following frame with a seven-run fifth inning.
After Trevor Fabing singled on and stole second, resulting in a Silver Creek error that allowed Fabing to plate the game’s third run, Ramiro Chapa trailed with a three-run blast to right field off reliever Sheldon Daquioag (0IP, 3H, 4R, 1BB), scoring both Ricky Garcia and courtesy runner Matt Vallejo.
Later, following a Zozaya walk, Steve Cabral smacked a two-run homer over the right-center field fence, while Spencer Brann later added an RBI single into left field, scoring Isaak Ramos from second base.
“I like the fact that we made some adjustments midway through the game,” Luna said. “Defensively, we were flawless, and the one-hitter …”
While the grandeur of the home run stole much of the limelight from Wednesday’s game, starter Darin Gillies (5IP, 1H, 8K, 2BB, 1HBP) and reliever Bret Furtado (2IP, 1K, 1BB) combined for a complete game one-hitter – the lone hit a shallow chopper down the third-base line.
“I think I pitched well. But I think I could have been in the strike zone more,” Gillies said. “I just need to attack hitters and get ahead.”
Afterward, Gillies said he dedicated the game to Philip Clark, who passed away on May 17. Clark taught Economics and US History at San Benito High School.
Before the season Luna asked his players to name a teacher who made an impact in their lives, leading to several of those teachers throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at each of San Benito’s home games this season.
Many players picked Clark, who threw out the first pitch at a ‘Balers game approximately two weeks ago, Luna said.
“He had a positive impact on the community and in my life,” Gillies said. “I know if he were here, he’d have been at this game.
“He was definitely watching it from heaven.”
Notes:
Silver Creek completes its season at 21-10 and winners of the West Valley Division in the Blossom Valley Athletic League … In other games, No. 5 Valley Christian (25-8) defeated No. 12 Carmel (18-8) 11-1; No. 4 Serra (26-7) downed No. 13 Homestead (13-17) 11-0; No. 2 Santa Teresa (23-5) upended No. 15 Evergreen Valley (19-12) 2-1; No. 10 Mitty (22-11) beat No. 7 Salinas (22-8-1) 11-3; No. 3 Wilcox (26-7) topped No. 14 Carlmont (18-13) 2-1 in 10 innings; and No. 6 St. Francis (24-9) defeated No. 11 Gilroy (17-13-1) 4-2 … Two years ago, San Benito beat Bellarmine 6-5 in the CCS quarterfinals, while the Bells returned the favor last season with an 8-6 victory in the same round … San Benito’s Jacob Eichhorn is expected to start on Saturday.
SC 000 000 0 – 0 1 2
SB 010 170 X – 9 8 0
WP: D. Gillies
LP: T. Crawford
