After an emotional roller coaster of a win in the Central Coast
Section quarterfinals, it would have been easy to forgive San
Benito for experiencing a letdown in Wednesday’s semifinal game
against Santa Teresa.
San Jose – After an emotional roller coaster of a win in the Central Coast Section quarterfinals, it would have been easy to forgive San Benito for experiencing a letdown in Wednesday’s semifinal game against Santa Teresa.
But the Haybalers weren’t buying that.
They took advantage of every possible Saints miscue and earned the school’s first ever berth in the CCS championship game with a 8-0 win over Santa Teresa at Municipal Stadium.
“We talked about making history and we did it,” coach Michael Luna said.
The win pits San Benito (29-4) against No. 1 Valley Christian in Saturday’s 7pm championship game at Municipal Stadium. The Warriors beat Gilroy 4-2 in Wednesday’s other semifinal.
“We had to come out and do it,” said Kolton Klauer, who was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. “It was a team effort all the way around.”
Against the team who knocked it out of the playoffs last year, San Benito improved to 2-0 this season against Santa Teresa and has won the games by a combined
21-0 score.
“We didn’t want them to do it to us two years in a row,” said ‘Balers starter Zach Canez. “We wanted to prove we’re not the same team (as last year).”
Canez worked through jams in every inning to secure the complete-game shutout. He’s now won his last five starts and has allowed just one run in his last 31 innings.
“Earlier in the year I saw myself as I pitcher/infielder,” Canez said. “But now Coach wants me to be his ace so I’ve been working hard at it every day.”
Both teams threatened in the first inning by putting two runners aboard but Canez and Saints’ starter Zach Jones worked through it and it stayed scoreless.
San Benito had another good opportunity to score in the second inning when Canez led off with a double.
Bryan Scott followed and bounced a ball to short. Canez broke for third and got caught in a rundown. He was eventually tagged out, but was awarded third base for fielder’s interference as he had run into the third baseman during the rundown.
But the break for the ‘Balers was quickly eliminated. The next batter, Ronnie Fhurong, lined a ball to right field with a hit and run on and it was caught and Scott was doubled off first to end the inning.
“I didn’t like that feeling when we didn’t score,” Luna said.
San Benito then took advantage of some poor defense by the Saints in the third to get on the board. Kevin Burley led off by hitting a ball to left field that was misread and got over the fielder’s head for a double. Two batters later, Klauer hit a similar ball that was again misplayed and went over the left fielder’s head for a double that scored Burley for a 1-0 lead.
Brian Haggett was issued his second intentional walk in as many games and with two outs, Canez delivered an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
Santa Teresa mounted a charge in the fourth when Alex Oberle and Cameron Guajardo led off with back-to-back hits, but a failed bunt helped thwart that attack and Canez worked out of it unscathed.
San Benito made the Saints pay in the bottom of the inning by extending the lead. After Scott led off with a single, Fhurong laid down a bunt and beat it out. Burley followed by also laying down a bunt, but the pitcher Jones fielded it and tried unsuccessfully to get the out at third. With the bases loaded, Justin Andrade delivered an RBI single and Haggett plated a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
“They kind of lost their composure after that,” Luna said.
The ‘Balers then put it away in the fifth. Medeiros reached on an error to lead off the inning and Canez followed with an infield single. A sacrifice bunt by Zozaya moved the runners up and Scott was intentionally walked.
With Fhurong at the plate, a wild pitch brought in the first run and then Fhurong hit a chopper over the drawn in infield to score two more runs and make it 7-0.
San Benito added its final run in the sixth on a Kyle Zozaya sacrifice fly and Canez retired the Saints in the seventh to finish off the complete-game shutout.
Notes: Medeiros re-aggravated a previous hamstring injury when running to first in the fifth inning. He left the game for a pinch-runner. Luna said Medeiros reported the injury as being less severe than when he initially pulled it and said he’s day-to-day.… Senior right-hander Michael Garcia will get the start in Saturday’s title game. Garcia pitched well in relief against Bellarmine on Saturday, allowing one run on two hits over two innings.
Santa Teresa 000 000 0 – 0 7 2
San Benito 002 231 0 – 8 12 0
WP – Canez, LP – Jones.
RBI – Fhurong (SB) 2, Klauer (SB), Canez (SB), Andrade (SB), Haggett (SB), Zozaya (SB). 2B – Klauer, Haggett, Canez, Burley (SB), J. Molina (ST).
