It didn’t take long for San Benito baseball coach Billy Aviles to note the reasons why the Balers finished the 2013 baseball season one game short of playing for a title. After dedicating the season’s success to three faucets – timely hitting, good defense and strong pitching – Wednesday’s semifinal game wasn’t the Balers best showing.
San Benito fell to Serra 6-0 to end their season just short of a third-consecutive title game.
Four San Benito errors led to five Serra runs – including the game’s last four runs – and San Benito left four runners on in the first three innings.
“We didn’t get the hits today, and the kids just didn’t play catch,” Aviles said. “It wasn’t our best game.”
San Benito brought runners into scoring position in each of the game’s first three innings, but they never got a big hit. Their best chance came in the third with the game still scoreless. After Michael Breen and Josh George each reached base, Garret Kelly sacrificed them to second and third.
Tonascia brought the count full, but he struck out swinging. Soto then tried to reach base on a bunt back to the pitcher.
“I don’t know what he was doing,” Aviles said. “That was Rob.”
Serra quickly scored in the bottom of the inning and never looked back. Thanks to four errors by the Balers – leading to four Serra runs – the Padres scored five runs in the final three innings to blow the game open. Serra finished with only four hits.
Cody Freitas finished with the Balers only extra-base hit – a second inning double off the left field wall. San Benito finished with three hits on the game.
Regardless of the loss, the season was still a success for San Benito, which made it to the CCS semifinals for the third consecutive year.
“There is only one other public school that can do that and that’s Palo Alto,” Jacob Tonascia said. “That’s special. This is a team that battled. That’s what we are going to be remembered for.”
The Balers finish the season 23-7.
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