GILROY—Questionable calls plus hot bats equaled frustration for Gavilan and run after run for Ohlone.
The visitors scored seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to effectively silence the Rams offense en route to a 10-2 win Saturday in Game 1 of the 2014 California Community College Athletic Association Regional Playoffs.
“I think we started to get a little flustered with things. We let our emotions take control. We lost our steam and we couldn’t recover from that,” Gavilan coach Nikki Dequin said. “If you’re going to be down, someone is going to beat you up and that’s what happened. We left too many balls hanging over the plate when we were ahead and that hurt us.”
The Coast Conference-South Champs were ahead 2-1 heading into that fifth inning before Ohlone saw it’s window of opportunity—literally. The Renegades hit back-to-back doubles to the hole in centerfield to start their rally. To make matters worse, the Rams were at the receiving end of questionable—and costly—calls by the officiating crew, which proved to be the difference maker in the game. Gavilan ace Paige Miguel gave a valiant performance in the circle, but made her exit after Ohlone’s seven runs crossed the plate.
The sophomore pitcher gave up eight runs—five earned— on 11 hits while striking out four through four and two thirds innings.
Miguel was replaced by freshman Tori Lobato who had seen limited pitching time this season due to injury. After a quick pep talk from Dequin, Lobato quickly got the job done by forcing the Ohlone batter to fly out to centerfield.
“Coach Nikki is always very positive. …She amazes me the way she talks to us,” Lobato said. “She came to me and asked ‘Are you ready, are you ready to go?’ and I said I don’t know. She’s just like ‘You can do this. I believe in you, you can do this’ and it just made me have confidence in myself that she had confidence in me.”
Dequin said she was excited about Lobato’s potential—even more so after she shined under pressure. Ohlone scored twice more in the top of the seventh, but she picked up back-to-back swinging strikeouts to help end the inning and limit the damage.
Lobato allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits while striking out two through two and a third innings.
Gavilan drew first blood when Mari Rodriguez singled to score Priscilla Orona—who stood 90-feet from home plate after her lead-off triple. The score put the Rams up 1-0, a lead they’d hold until the top of the fourth when Ohlone scored the equalizer.
Samantha Parraz hit a triple in the bottom of the fourth to put herself in scoring position for Gavilan. Two batters later, Kari Bittle brought her home with an RBI double as Gavilan regained the lead, 2-1. Unfortunately for the Rams, that’s all they’d be able to muster up.
Gavilan will get another crack at the Renegades at noon Sunday for Game 2 of the best of three series. A Rams’ win will force a decisive Game 3, slated tentatively for 2 p.m. or at the conclusion of Game 2.
“We’re coming back with fire,” Lobato said. “Ohlone better be ready.”
