GILROY
–– After coming out sluggish and getting swamped by West Valley
in Tuesday’s 13-0 loss, the Gavilan College softball squad faced
another undefeated conference opponent, San Jose City.
GILROY –– After coming out sluggish and getting swamped by West Valley in Tuesday’s 13-0 loss, the Gavilan College softball squad faced another undefeated conference opponent, San Jose City.
The Jaguars came to Gilroy on Thursday tied for first with West Valley and sporting a 17-3 overall record.
The Rams picked up their play and threatened to knock San Jose City out of first place, but ended up falling by a slim 3-2 margin. Gavilan was tied 2-2 going into the sixth inning when the Jaguars scored the game-winning run.
“We were extremely pleased today, not only with how we played throughout the game, but with how our gals prepared themselves before the game began,” head coach Tim Kenworthy said. “We know we play much better when we warm-up appropriately and begin to focus before the game starts, rather than waiting to the middle of the game to get going.”
Last season, the Rams were up against another top-ranked San Jose City squad and pulled off a 4-3 upset. So going into Thursday’s contest, the mood at the Rams newly renovated field was that another upset was in the making again, especially after with Gavilan matching each run through five innings.
“Everyone was ready and up for this game, which definitely helped us stick with a team that obviously has more depth and talent overall than we have,” Kenworthy said. “Although we didn’t come out on top in terms of the score, I definitely think we played to our ability or above, which is all a coach can ask of his players.”
Gavilan starting pitcher Tanya Isbell went the distance, giving up three runs on six hits, six walks, and one hit batter, while striking out two in a valiant effort. San Jose City used two arms, getting two innings of work out of Karen Purdy and five from Katie Cochran, who got the win.
“I was very pleased,” Kenworthy said.
The Rams managed their two runs on three hits, including a double and RBI from Kristine Miles and an RBI from Marisol Luna-Gonzalez.
“We’re still not at full strength as some of our players are still nursing injuries that afflicted them weeks ago,” Kenworth said. “If we continue to play with the spirit, intensity, and focus with which we played today, we should do fine the rest of the season.”
San Jose City scored one run in the first inning on Jodi Voss’ RBI single and Gavilan responded with a run in the second inning off Luna-Gonzalez’s grounder that scored Megan MacDonald.
In the top of the third, the Jaguars reclaimed a one-run lead, but the Rams came right back on their next at-bats and tied the score on Miles’ double to right-center field.
The one run the Rams could not match came in the top of the sixth when San Jose City’s Alex Anunciacion smacked an RBI double to left field.
