Hollister
– The San Benito High baseball team is looking more and more
like a squad that will be in contention for the Tri-County Athletic
League title this season.
Hollister – The San Benito High baseball team is looking more and more like a squad that will be in contention for the Tri-County Athletic League title this season.
The Balers (2-2 TCAL, 14-5 overall) defeated Silver Creek 8-2 on Saturday for their seventh win in eight games.
More importantly, the team wrapped up third place in the North Monterey County Tournament with the win against the Raiders.
“I’m very pleased with the way we’ve been hitting the ball, especially these last two games,” said Hollister head coach Michael Luna. “I’m happy with the way we’ve been attacking the ball, with the way we’ve been aggressive at the plate.
The score was knotted at 0-0 after the first inning on Saturday before the Baler bats came alive in a big way.
Jason Sims led off the inning for Hollister by crushing a solo shot over the fence for a 1-0 Haybalers’ lead. Geno Fata earned a walk later in the inning and made it to third before Karson Klauer hit a grounder to bring him across for a 2-0 San Benito lead.
The Raiders came back to tie the game in the third but the Balers answered in the fourth. Fata reached on a base hit and Gabe Gaitan brought him across with a double.
Silver Creek might have been thinking it was still in the game at that point, down 3-2. But then the fifth came and Hollister exploded for another four runs.
Brian Rossi got things started with a two-run shot and then Sims, not to be outdone, blasted another homer to score a pair and put the game out of reach.
Sims’ second home run of the game was just the finishing touch on his incredible overall performance in the tournament. Not only was the Hollister senior scoring runs for the Balers in the NMC Tournament, he pitched 12-total innings, gave up only one run and struck out 15 batters.
For his efforts, Sims was selected as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
The Balers resume league play this Wednesday against Salinas (0-4 TCAL) at home.
