Salinas – Trailing Palma by one run heading into the seventh inning, the San Benito baseball had one last chance to top the vaunted Chieftains. With first place in the Tri-County Athletic League on the line, the Haybalers’ bats came to life in a full-throttle offensive display, posting 11 runs in the team’s final at bat to stun Palma 15-5.
A hotly-contested game through six innings suddenly turned into a rout. After seeing the Chieftains twice overtake its lead, the latest time with a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth, San Benito made sure its final lead would stand up.
The ‘Balers (13-2, 9-1 TCAL) sent a whopping 15 batters to the plate in the seventh and saw Breyon Canez, Karson Klauer and Brian Haggett all score twice in the inning.
San Benito head coach Michael Luna beamed when he spoke of his team’s resilience in overcoming what had been the TCAL’s lone undefeated team.
“They had all the momentum,” said Luna of the Chieftains. “Just to be able to answer back like that, it just shows what type of team we have.”
The type of team Luna has is now in first place. San Benito vaulted past Palma (8-2, 6-1 TCAL) in the league standings in the teams’ first meeting of the season
“It’s pretty important,” said shortstop Sky Valenzuela. “This is a pretty big win for us.”
Canez, San Benito’s starting pitcher, did well to keep the Chieftains’ potent lineup at bay through the first five innings. Canez allowed six hits and two runs through that span, but effectively worked out of trouble and forced Palma to strand eight runners.
“I was just trying to do my job up there to keep them down,” said Canez. “I knew they were going to score. My goal was to keep the score down.”
The ‘Balers gave their ace a 4-2 lead with a two-out rally in the fifth. With runners at first and second, first baseman Brian Haggett dropped a single into left that Palma’s Brendan Bartley trapped. The Chieftains were momentarily confused, believing that Bartley had come up with an inning-ending catch, and paid the price for their slow reaction as Canez and Klauer rounded third and scored.
Palma showed it wouldn’t go quietly by finally getting to Canez in the sixth. After center fielder Billy Foy singled to open the inning and Jordan Casas was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second, Canez surrendered a two-run double to Palma slugger Gabe Arcoleo, a shot that tied the game at 4-4.
One out after Zach Canez relieved his older brother, Chieftains designated hitter Alex Marcus dropped a flare in front of a diving Jacob Boyd in center to drive in Arcoleo and put the ‘Balers’ six-game winning streak in jeopardy.
But a day after routing Sobrato 19-1 behind a seven and a 10-run inning, the ‘Balers calmly mounted their comeback. The elder Canez doubled down the leftfield line to start the inning and then Palma head coach Reny Enriquez chose to intentionally walk Klauer for the second time. The strategy backfired as Haggett, batting clean-up for the first time this season, singled up the middle to knot the game at 5-5.
After Arcoleo, smarting from straining his back on the two-run double, relieved Tyler Dinner, the inning really started to get away from Palma. Arcoleo hit Travis Ross with a pitch to load the bases and then Valenzuela followed with a two-run single to center.
Two more hit batters, a fielding error and a walk fueled the ‘Balers’ fire and, before he knew it, Valenzuela found himself at bat for the second time in the inning, once again with the bases loaded. Having already reached base four times, Valenzuela put an exclamation point on his breakout day at the plate by smashing a 3-RBI double off the third-base bag to finish San Benito’s fireworks show.
“Today, I just saw the ball good and I just wanted to hit it hard,” said Valenzuela, who finished 3-for-3 with 2 doubles, 2 walks and 6 RBIs.
San Benito senior Ryan McFall set down the Chieftains in order in the bottom of the seventh to lock up the win.
On an other day, Valenzuela, the team’s erstwhile clean-up hitter, might have played his way back into the four-hole, but Haggett had a remarkable debut in that slot. The sophomore finished 2-for-4 with a walk and scored three runs. Most importantly, he drove in three of his teammates.
Haggett spoke of the team’s offensive approach afterwards.
“Make the pitcher work, get walks,” said Haggett. “Put the ball in play and make them get us out.”
Both teams recorded nine hits, but the ‘Balers walked eight times while Palma only received two bases on balls.
Klauer, who scored the winning run on his second intentional walk, Breyon Canez and Haggett all scored three times to lead the ‘Balers.
“That’s a good team,” said Enriquez of San Benito. “A very good team. They compete. They deserved to win, plain and simple.”
Arcoleo led Palma’s offense with his 3-for-3, 2 run, 2 RBI showing. Breyon Canez won the battle with Palma’s other featured hitter, retiring Casas the first three times he faced him. Marcus was the only other Chieftain to record multiple hits.
San Benito returns to action this afternoon when it visits Salinas at 1pm. The second of the three Palma-San Benito contests will be played on Wednesday afternoon in Hollister.
