San Benito returns home for the first time since March 30, earns
5-0 win against visiting Salinas
HOLLISTER
It took the Lady ‘Balers until the fourth inning to plate a run the last time it played Salinas, and San Benito manager Scott Smith didn’t want to wait as long this time around.
Playing at home for the first time since March 30, the Lady ‘Balers scored often early and carried a 5-0 victory past the visiting Cowboys Thursday at home.
“They’re tough. That was a big win,” Smith said. “I have watched this girl pitch before, seen 13, 14, 15 strikeouts.
“I didn’t want it to get to that point.”
Salinas pitcher Nicole Lobato has actually thrown 17 strikeouts in one game this season, to be exact, but San Benito took advantage in the early innings and never allowed the senior hurler to reach that level of comfortability.
She struck out eight Lady ‘Balers on March 24, but just three this time around.
And before the Cowboys ace was even able to get into a groove on Thursday, or even get out of the first inning, the Lady ‘Balers loaded the bases behind singles from JC Clayton (3-for-4), Taylor Powell and Jessica Vest, all for freshman Marissa Adame.
Although the San Benito catcher connected on a shallow pop fly, just past second base but still in the infield, Smith sent courtesy runner Aly Ocampo from third base anyway.
“She kind of dominated us a little bit last game,” Smith said of Lobato. “I just felt like that was an opportunity. We decided to take a chance and I think we caught them sleeping.
“Fortunately, it worked out.”
Ocampo, who was running for Powell, sprinted home from third and beat the slightly off-line throw to supply the Lady ‘Balers with an early 1-0 lead.
“I saw a couple of high balls called by the umps,” Smith said. “And so we took a chance.”
The aggressive move proved to be the difference, as San Benito starter Marisa Ibarra was stellar and improved to 19-2 this season behind a two-hit, eight-strikeout performance that never saw a Salinas base runner reach third.
“I think I pitched pretty well. I was hitting my spots good, better than the last few games,” Ibarra said. “They usually hit the ball hard, so it was good I kept the ball down.”
Smith agreed, even noting that Ibarra (7IP, 2H, 0R, 8K, 2BB) was throwing approximately two to three miles per hour faster than usual.
“Marisa was throwing the ball hard, and they were hitting the ball hard,” Smith said.
The Cowboys had two runners on with two outs in each of the first three innings – San Benito committed three errors through the first three innings – but Ibarra never allowed the game to get interesting, forcing Salinas into ground outs each time to thwart any threat.
Following the third, Ibarra retired 12 of the last 13 batters she faced, allowing only a walk in the seventh inning.
“They hit the ball hard on the ground and our defense got a chance to work,” Ibarra said.
And San Benito increased upon its early lead in the second inning when a Nicole Rianda (2-for-2) single into right field brought Brittany Hoff home all the way from first base. The sequence of events wasn’t as simple as that, though.
Smith, as third base coach, tried to hold up Hoff at third but the sophomore went too far past the base and got caught in a pickle instead. Shuttling back and forth between third and home, Hoff stayed away from any Cowboys just long enough when Salinas dropped the ball at the plate and Hoff was able to score.
San Benito tacked on two more in the third when Jessica Vest connected on her second hit of the game, blasting a two-run homer into left field and just past the outreached arm of Salinas’ left fielder. The Lady ‘Balers added a fifth run in the sixth when Taylor Powell lifted a ball into center field and sacrificed Mari Vallejo home.
San Benito (5-1 TCAL, 19-3), which continues to keep pace with undefeated Notre Dame, will play three games next week, including Monday at Alvarez and Wednesday at Alisal. The Lady ‘Balers will then return home to battle Gilroy on Thursday.
SALN – 000 000 0 – 0 3 1
SANB – 112 001 X – 5 10 3
