San Benito now 6-0 in TCAL after 6-0 victory over Cowboys
The San Benito Haybalers already proved they were the team to
beat in the Tri-County Athletic League.
Winning five straight Division I titles can do that for a
team.
But with rainouts and postponements pushing any meeting against
Salinas back into the second half of the league schedule, the
Balers still had one area team to prove themselves against.
San Benito now 6-0 in TCAL after 6-0 victory over Cowboys
The San Benito Haybalers already proved they were the team to beat in the Tri-County Athletic League.
Winning five straight Division I titles can do that for a team.
But with rainouts and postponements pushing any meeting against Salinas back into the second half of the league schedule, the Balers still had one area team to prove themselves against.
After Tuesday’s convincing 6-0 victory over the visiting Cowboys, though, in which San Benito had just six hits but blasted two homers and played ultra-aggressive on the base paths, while also receiving a complete game three-hitter from starting pitcher Paige Miguel, the Balers officially backed up what everyone already knew.
Winning the TCAL this year means going through Hollister.
“We’re improving every practice,” said senior right fielder Brittany Hoff, who had two hits and three RBI through just two innings on Tuesday. “We try to work harder than the previous practice, and it’s showing in the games.”
If the Balers continue to improve each game, they could very well be looking at an undefeated season in the TCAL. After all, the team is already 6-0 in league, 14-0 overall, and it holds a one-game lead over Gilroy in the loss column, and now a two-game lead over Salinas.
Winning out for San Benito means going through Gilroy and Salinas one more time, though, but the Balers are playing sound softball in all facets right now.
And like Hoff said, it’s showing in the games.
“They’re one of the better teams in the TCAL,” Hoff added of Salinas, which had only lost to Gilroy entering Tuesday’s contest. “This helps show us what we can really do, what our hard work does.”
San Benito set the tone in the home half of the first, set the tone with the very first batter, even. Samantha Puentes drew a walk after 12 pitches, and later stole second base before being knocked in by Hoff on a hit-and-run single to right field.
Hoff found herself at-bat in the very next inning, too, this time with two outs and the bases loaded. Surprisingly, though, the senior relished the pressure situation.
“It’s exciting to come up with the bases loaded,” she said. “Just me and the pitcher. I want to win that battle.”
Hoff indeed won the duel against Justine Armento when she lined a two-RBI single to left field, plating both Brittani Newman and Puentes from scoring position, and staking the Balers to an early 3-0 lead.
While Armento settled down following the second inning, the three-run cushion was already more than enough for San Benito’s Miguel (7IP, 3H, 1K). The senior hurler didn’t allow a hit until the third inning, induced 18 ground-ball outs, and retired the last nine batters she faced in order — all by forcing them to hit a ground ball, of course.
The lead was still 3-0 until the fifth inning, when San Benito took to the skies to put away Salinas. Jessica Steigelman drove the first pitch she saw off Armento over the center fielder’s head for a two-run homer, plating courtesy runner Sierra Puentes in the process, while Samantha Puentes followed with a solo homer to the left-center field gap in the sixth off reliever Alyssa Razo (1IP, 1H, 1R, 1K).
“The way it looks to me is if we play our best game, it’s gonna be tough to beat us…” manager Scott Smith said.
