Lady Balers off to best start in years, but still consider
improvement their true measure
HOLLISTER
It’s perhaps easy to take the San Benito softball team’s current record for granted.
After all, the Lady Balers have won an unprecedented four straight Division I titles and compiled a staggering 116-14 record in that same time — 43-5 in the Tri-County Athletic League.
Put another way, only Mitty’s current streak of five straight titles in Division II, and Notre Dame’s run of nine straight section titles from 1998 to 2006 in Division III, trump San Benito’s four-peat in Central Coast Section history.
In other words, the last four years have vaulted the San Benito program into exclusive softball company — something only an .892 winning percentage can cause.
But winning at a nearly 90 percent clip is often difficult to replicate, especially at a public school — no matter what the size. And coming into this season, knowing what San Benito was returning, knowing what it had lost and not knowing what was coming in, continuing anything close to that same winning percentage was practically unthinkable, manager Scott Smith said.
“If you would have offered me 7-7 before the year, I would have taken it,” said Smith, who is in his eighth season of coaching the varsity program.
Instead, the team is currently 14-1 and one controversial play at the plate away from being a perfect 15-0 — a “huge surprise” for the San Benito skipper. Previous seasons need not dilute this year’s fast start.
Added Smith, who stands just five wins away from reaching 200 at San Benito, “I was looking at our league, and I’m thinking we’d be fighting with North High to get fourth place.”
It’s certainly an understandable prognostication, what with losing two phenoms in Marisa Ibarra and JC Clayton who were arguably the best softball players to come through San Benito High. A graduation hit like that is enough to setback any team. Coupled with the fact the Lady Balers have just one senior and five freshmen on its current varsity roster, and the team’s ability to stick with the winning trend of seasons past becomes even more of a shocker.
But listening to players and coaches alike, San Benito’s 14-1 mark isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, which is precisely why the Lady Balers have developed into a well-oiled machine in years past, and even how they remain playing at a higher level than most — winning isn’t the be-all, end-all, but developing and improving is.
“I knew we had a lot of young girls and that it was gonna be tough,” sophomore catcher Marissa Adame said. “We’ve come away with wins, but we’re not playing our hardest. Today was our best game so far — communication and working-together wise.”
On Tuesday, San Benito cruised past visiting Alisal by an 8-0 margin and improved to 4-0 in the TCAL. The Lady Balers scored one run in the first inning when Mari Vallejo singled up the middle to plate Samantha Puentes, then added three more runs later in the frame when Jessica Vest blasted a three-run homer to left field.
Puentes and Adame each added RBI singles in the sixth.
Pitcher Danielle Acosta allowed one hit but never allowed a Trojan runner to reach scoring position, while the defense behind her turned three double plays.
It was San Benito’s sixth straight victory.
“But with our schedule, for some reason, we haven’t run into those real tough teams yet,” Smith said. “We’ve been winning games, but we’re not winning games the way we should be.
“We’re not where we need to be yet, and that’s the scary thing about being 14-1.”
On one hand, 14 wins to open the season is great, especially when 14 wins to open the season wasn’t expected. On the other hand, though, 14 wins to open the season means little come May, and Smith and the Lady Balers are still progressing toward a playoff level.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Smith said, “I’m real proud of our kids. But we’re still really young and still making a lot of mistakes.”
Watch any San Benito softball game, and any play that looks to be converted perfectly is often followed by additional tips from Smith as to how to improve upon the same play next time. Ideally, the team will be at a point in the playoffs where everything is second nature, and where each and every option is mapped out before any pitch has been thrown.
“I wasn’t expecting for it to be crazy, but for it be high-level ball,” said the second baseman Puentes, who is one of four starting freshmen on the team, a list that includes Brittani Newman (3B), Brittany Sparrer (LF) and Ellie Burley (DH). “He just works us to play at our best ability. Even if we make a good play, he tells us how to make the play better.”
Said Adame, “No plays off, but that makes you better in the game. It’s a little bit easier (as a sophomore) because I know what he expects, but it still is hard.”
Smith said the freshmen class is the most athletic he’s had, although their field savvy continues to develop, while junior hurler Paige Miguel has been an unexpected surprise; the San Benito pitcher has thrown two perfect games already. Add in returning stars like Jessica Vest, Jessica Steigelman and Mari Vallejo, and the San Benito Lady Balers are off to their best start since Smith took over the program in 2003.
But right now, of course, winning isn’t what matters.
“The record really doesn’t make a difference right now,” Adame said. “We’re not really focused on that right now.”
