Megan Smith singled in Julie Broyer on in the top of the 10th to
give Hollister High a 1-0 victory in a Tri-County Athletic League
softball game at Gilroy on Friday.
Megan Smith singled in Julie Broyer on in the top of the 10th to give Hollister High a 1-0 victory in a Tri-County Athletic League softball game at Gilroy on Friday.
It was the fourth consecutive 1-0 game the Balers have been involved in and they have a 3-1 record during that span. The Balers are now 12-4 overall and 5-2 in the T-CAL, tied with North Salinas for second place and one-half game behind first place Notre Dame. The Spirits are ranked 11th in the state and fourth in Northern California.
Alyssa Baker (8-2) picked up the victory as she pitched the final five innings in relief of Dani Hernandez.
“I could see early on that Dani didn’t have her best stuff,” said Baler head coach Scott Smith. “But I felt it the game was going to go long, so I kept Dani in as long as I could.”
Broyer began the 10th on second base as an international tiebreaker runner. The batter was Liz Stewart.
“I really don’t like to bunt with Liz, but she gave me a look like she could do it,” said Scott Smith. “She laid a perfect bunt down and almost beat it out.”
With Broyer on at third, Megan Smith fell behind in the count 0-2 before her basehit to right-center brought home Broyer for the game-winner.
Defensively, the game was saved on two counts. Shortstop Jenny Maheu made the play-of-the-game in the bottom of the 10th, according to Scott Smith. The Mustangs (7-7, 3-4) had the potential tying run on at third and a ball was hit off the glove of Baker. Maheu charged in and made a bare-handed pickup and threw to the plate to nail the runner as Baler catcher Amy Baxter blocked the plate beautifully.
“Jenny was colliding with Baker when she made a perfect throw to the plate,” said Scott Smith. “Jenny’s probably the only one who could have made that play because she had to contort her body to make the play.”
“Baxter made an incredible play to block the plate,” said Baler assistant Mike Maheu. “She’s tough. You wouldn’t even know she had surgery not long ago.”
And in right field, Shelbi Dillon saved the Balers’ bacon with five, count ’em, five assists, throwing out Gilroy runners at first base. That may be a softball record for one game at any level. Dillon will play at Humbold State this fall, joining her older sister, Jordan, who transferred from Mesa State.
“We gambled and told Shelbi to play shallow,” said Scott Smith. “She was incredible out there.”
Maheu, who doubled, joined Smith in the Balers’ two-hit club.
The Balers were originally scheduled to play at North Salinas this Tuesday, but the game has been postponed until April 22 due to Easter break. Hollister is among 24 teams at the Seventh Annual Watsonville Tournament, which begins next Saturday. The Balers pool consists of Capuchino and Milpitas. The Balers play Capuchino at 12:15 p.m. and Milpitas at 5:45 p.m. The tournament concludes on April 26.
