San Benito goes 3-0 in pool play at Charlie Miguel tournament in
Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale
In San Benito’s closest contest last weekend at the Charlie Miguel Invitational Tournament in Sunnyvale, the opposition failed to score a run.
Competing in the 26-team tournament on Friday and Saturday at the Twin Creeks Sports Complex, the Lady ‘Balers went 3-0 in pool play, outscored their opponents by a 32-2 margin, and, in their first game of the tourney on Friday night, kept Carlmont scoreless in a 3-0 victory.
San Benito advances to the Gold Division this weekend as the No. 2-seed, after they followed Friday’s win with a 15-1 rout of Piedmont Hills and a 14-1 thumping of Gunn. Both games were called in the fifth inning.
The weekend was highlighted by San Benito’s 3-0 defeat of Carlmont, however. The two teams met up in last season’s Central Coast Section final, where the Lady ‘Balers won by a 2-1 margin, but manager Scott Smith noted that the Scots this season lost three of their starting returners from last year’s squad.
“I still think we’re getting it back,” Smith said of his team’s swagger. “The kids are starting to feel a little better … I think we’re getting it back and the other teams are understanding that we’re a pretty good team.”
Starting pitcher Marisa Ibarra threw seven walks against the Scots – “probably her toughest outing,” Smith said – but nevertheless pitched well enough to earn the win and keep Carlmont off the scoreboard.
Ibarra threw a complete game and allowed five hits while striking out five.
The Scots had an opportunity to plate a run in the fifth after Ibarra walked three batters with one out in the inning. But the San Benito ace forced a ground out to third base and then struck out the next batter with the bases loaded to stymie the Scots.
“We made some good defensive plays, and she made some big pitches when she needed to,” Smith said. “She rose to the occasion.”
San Benito rose to the occasion in the third inning when they scored all three of their runs. JC Clayton led off with a single up the middle, and Rachel Maheu bunted on before Elena Fata sacrificed both runners into scoring position.
With runners on second and third, Lizzy Gatto hit a deep fly to left-center field where Carlmont’s outfielder committed a fielding error, scoring two runs. Bri Romero then doubled in Gatto to make it 3-0 San Benito, a score that would hold until the end.
The Lady ‘Balers then cruised through pool play with shortened affairs against Piedmont Hills and Gunn.
Against Piedmont Hills, Ibarra threw a one-hitter through five innings and struck out 11 en route to the 15-1 win, while Clayton and Lindsey Clay each supplied three hits for San Benito.
Clay and Gatto had 3-RBI days, and Gatto and Jessica Vest powered the team with home runs.
In their third and final game of pool play, San Benito got a dual pitching performance from freshman hurlers Page Miguel and Jessica Steigelman.
Miguel started and threw three no-hit innings, striking out three, while Steigelman followed with two innings of work, allowing one run on two hits, striking out one.
Bre Fata, Clayton, Maheu, Vest and Romero each supplied San Benito with a pair of hits in the 14-1 rout.
Advancing to the Gold Division, No. 2 San Benito will find out who they’ll be playing this weekend on Wednesday when the eight remaining teams will be bracketed.
Smith said the top seed went to Monta Vista, while Salinas, Notre Dame, Leigh and Presentation will also be seeded in the Gold Division.
The Lady ‘Balers (7-3 overall, 1-0 TCAL) will return to league play Thursday when they’ll play at Everett Alvarez at 4:30 p.m.
On Friday, they’ll open the Gold Division of the Charlie Miguel Invitational Tournament at 6 p.m., at the Twin Creeks Sports Complex in Sunnyvale.
