After San Benito supplied some late-inning magic two years ago
against the Bells in the CIF-Central Coast Section Division I
quarterfinals, in what was a 6-5, nine-inning victory, the Balers
have fallen on hard times against Bellarmine in the postseason,
hard times in the CCS quarterfinals, and Saturday’s 8-1 loss at
Washington Park in Santa Clara certainly didn’t help
SANTA CLARA
It was the postseason’s version of a rubber match – San Benito versus Bellarmine, only it’s been three years in the making.
But after San Benito supplied some late-inning magic two years ago against the Bells in the CIF-Central Coast Section Division I quarterfinals, in what was a 6-5, nine-inning victory, the Balers have fallen on hard times against Bellarmine in the postseason, hard times in the CCS quarterfinals, and Saturday’s 8-1 loss at Washington Park in Santa Clara certainly didn’t help.
“It hurts, but we just didn’t play our best today,” senior catcher Kyle Zozaya said. “They were the better team today.”
Similar to last season’s 8-6 loss to Bellarmine in the CCS quarters, in which top-seeded San Benito (26-5-1) fell behind 4-0 through two innings, Saturday’s third consecutive quarterfinal meeting between the two teams saw the Balers trail 5-0 after the first.
“That first inning set the tone for the entire game,” manager Michael Luna said.
“We gave up three runs against Bellarmine in the first inning last year – not the position we want to be in against a quality team.”
And with nine runners left stranded on base, including five in scoring position, many of San Benito’s swings delivered hard-hit balls that traveled on a zip line to awaiting Bellarmine fielders and ended many scoring threats.
“It’s just disappointing that this didn’t go our way,” junior shortstop Ricky Garcia said. “I feel bad for the seniors. I know it was their last chance.
“But I think it was just that first inning. They came out swinging and we made some mistakes that they capitalized on.”
Following a walk by San Benito starting pitcher Jacob Eichhorn (.2IP, 5H, 5R, 1BB, 2K) to open the game, Bellarmine connected on two perfectly placed hits: a high chopper over third baseman Tyler Provost’s head and a single into right field that fell just under the glove of a diving Ricky Archuleta to load the bases.
Although Eichhorn and reliever Kyle Vallejo (4.1IP, 4H, 3R, 3K) managed to strikeout the side in the first, it wasn’t until after Bellarmine posted a five spot behind a two-run single from Michael Dirkson and back-to-back warning-track doubles from Kyle Demerritt and Will Sparks that plated three more runs.
“After that, it was a 3-0 ball game,” Garcia said.
And despite the early deficit, San Benito appeared anything but demoralized in the dugout after the top of the first.
Garcia even connected with an infield single on the first pitch he saw in the home half off Bellarmine starter Patrick Hennessey (5IP, 1H, 0R, 3K, 5BB), who proceeded to load the bases with consecutive walks to Steve Cabral and Tyler Provost. But although he seemingly pitched himself into jams with five walks total, Hennessey managed to pitch himself right out of them as well – Garcia’s hit was the only hit the Bells captain would allow in his five innings of work.
“He kept getting better and adapted to it,” Garcia said. “He threw a good game.”
The Balers had runners on base in each inning except the third – the Bells allowed eight walks total – but didn’t plate a run until the bottom of the seventh when a fielder’s choice ground out by Garcia scored Spencer Brann from third.
San Benito had just two hits in the game, a far cry from the eight-hit performance it had last Wednesday when it silenced No. 16 Silver Creek 9-0 in the first round.
“It was our goal to chip away at the score,” Zozaya said. “That was our plan to get back in the game, but it didn’t work out that way.
“Hats off to [Hennessey]. He threw good, mixed up his pitches and kept us off balance.”
And Hennessey helped assure it would be an all-West Catholic Athletic League Division I semifinal round for the second year in a row, as Bellarmine (23-10) and Serra (27-7) square off on one side of the bracket, Mitty (23-11) and St. Francis (25-9) on the other.
“Obviously, we didn’t play our best game today, but we had a lot of positive things happen this season,” Luna said. “Twenty-six wins, a fourth straight TCAL title. But right now I’m sure this is hurting them as much as it’s hurting me.”
BELL – 500 030 0 – 8 11 0
SANB – 000 000 1 – 1 2 2
WP: P. Hennessey
LP: J. Eichhorn
