San Benito starting pitcher Marisa Ibarra strikes out 10
Mustangs, Lady ‘Balers pound out 11 hits in team’s 23rd win of the
season
GILROY
Blame Thursday’s loss on nerves, blame it on mental mistakes, or just blame it on a pitcher who has clearly worn out her welcome in Gilroy softball circles.
San Benito’s Marisa Ibarra tossed 10 strikeouts in a 7-1 win over the Mustangs, keeping the Lady ‘Balers in contention for a Tri-County Athletic League title while leaving Gilroy in must-win situations when it takes on Salinas and Alisal next week – qualifying for the Central Coast Section playoffs hangs in the balance.
Ibarra, a senior, ran her career record against Gilroy to 11-1 (she is 114-11 overall), with the lone loss coming in her first meeting against the Mustangs during her freshman season. Leaving the diamond with a victory in hand Thursday, in what could be the final meeting between the two clubs this season, was especially rewarding.
“I was thinking about it before the game, this being my last time playing Gilroy,” Ibarra said. “I wanted to have a good memory of it.”
Ibarra wasn’t alone in wanting to win this game more than others on the schedule, which might have worked against Gilroy.
“I think we wanted it too bad,” said Emily Castro, who recorded the Mustangs’ lone RBI by plating Dani Hemeon in the bottom of the fifth inning. “We were psyching ourselves out.”
Two RBI by Brittany Hoff, one in the second and another in the fourth, gave San Benito an early 2-0 lead.
A three-run top of the fifth played a key role in the game unraveling from Gilroy’s perspective. Sarah Lira replaced Ashley Harrington as the GHS pitcher with no outs in the frame following a double by Jessica Vest and a walk for Marissa Adame. A 2-RBI double by Bre Fata in the next at-bat made it 4-0. Two batters later, Mari Vallejo followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0.
“I don’t know if it was a must-win for us, but it was a confidence-building win,” said San Benito assistant coach Mike Maheu. “[Ibarra] has been carrying us pitching, and today we paid her back with some offensive production.”
Fata and Vallejo both added RBI singles in the sixth, forcing Gilroy to go to its third pitcher of the game, Sam Parraz.
Overall, San Benito had 11 hits to Gilroy’s five.
“It feels like we’re really playing as a team when that happens,” Ibarra said of her run support. “It makes me feel more comfortable on the mound.”
Gilroy’s comfort level in the final week of the season will be anything but comfortbale. At 12-11-1 overall and 5-5 in the TCAL, the Mustangs will need to win at least one game to continue their season into CCS. Gilroy lost 2-0 to Salinas (14-11-2, 5-5) in the clubs’ first matchup the season, while Alisal (2-16, 0-8) posed no problems in a 14-4 GHS victory.
“This game, I don’t think [winning] necessarily helps us for CCS or league,” said Gilroy manager Catherine Hallada. “In the long run, it doesn’t really hurt us, but [our players] really wanted it.”
Castro, who made the stakes of Thursday’s contest a little less dramatic by hitting a bases-clearing triple in a 4-2 win at North Salinas on Tuesday, admitted that losing to Hollister is never fun, but something that won’t stop the team from moving forward.
“Come Salinas, we’re going to definitely try to get into CCS,” she said.
Meanwhile, San Benito (23-4, 9-2), the defending Division I CCS champs, will host North Salinas next Thursday in the season finale.
