San Benito ends Gilroy’s season with 7-0 win in CCS quarters;
Lady ‘Balers set to face No. 2 Carlmont tonight
Salinas – San Benito softball head coach Scott Smith couldn’t help but remember what happened the last time his ‘Balers received a first-round bye in the Central Coast Section softball playoffs.
It was 2004 and seventh-seeded North Salinas upset his No. 2 San Benito team 4-3 in the quarterfinals, the memories of which caused Smith a sleepless night before the third-seeded ‘Balers took on sixth-seeded Gilroy Saturday.
“Absolutely. I didn’t tell the kids that,” said Smith, when asked if he thought about the Vikings’ upset two years ago heading into the game with Gilroy. “We had underachieved the past three years in CCS. So yes, it absolutely was on my mind.”
But in the CCS Division I quarterfinals at the Salinas Sports Complex Saturday, history didn’t repeat itself. In a dominating 7-0 performance, the ‘Balers ousted the Mustangs (15-10) from the playoffs.
In today’s semifinals, San Benito (27-3) will take on No. 2 Carlmont at 7pm at San Jose’s PAL Stadium. The Scots blanked No. 10 Piedmont Hills 7-0 Saturday.
Senior Kristen Archuleta (3-for-3, two RBI’s, walk), freshman Jacqueline Clayton (3-for-3, double, walk), junior Audra Brown (double, single, two RBI’s) and sophomore Lindsey Clay (two-run triple) led the San Benito offense. Freshman Marissa Ibarra pitched the complete-game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out six.
Going into the game, Gilroy and San Benito had split two regular season games in Tri-County Athletic League play.
“We all really wanted to beat them again and get the win,” said Clayton, who found a way to get on base in all four plate appearances.
A miscommunication on Gilroy’s end helped the ‘Balers get their first run. With Clayton (single) on second base after a steal, Brown lofted a flyball just over second base. Gilroy center fielder Yolanda Esquivel and second baseman Lauryn Chris ran to make the catch, but both stopped short and looked to the other to make the play. The ball dropped between them as Clayton crossed home.
“That play really changed the whole tide of the game,” Smith said. “They’re young like us and tend to get down a little bit when that happens.”
The first-inning run gave the ‘Balers the edge. But it was the four-run third inning that broke the game wide open.
Clayton led off the third by milking a walk from Gilroy pitcher Sarah Villar. With San Benito’s next batter, No. 3 hitter Archuleta, at the plate, Clayton stole second. Archuleta then ripped a shot down the third-base line that handcuffed and bounced off the glove of Gilroy third baseman Angelica Galindo, which brought home Clayton to make it 2-0. Brown’s single put two runners on for San Benito. Clay then hit a two-out triple into the right-center gap to clear the bases and give the ‘Balers a 4-0 lead. The next batter, senior first baseman Ari Romero, drove in Clay for the ‘Balers’ fourth and final run of the inning with a bloop single that dropped in front of second base.
San Benito scored its final two runs on RBI doubles from Archuleta and Brown in the sixth inning.
According to Clay, the ‘Balers had very simple goals heading into the matchup with the Mustangs: “No errors, hit the ball and get the pitcher off the mound.” The ‘Balers did that and also made big plays when they needed to, including in the sixth inning when right fielder Lizzy Gatto threw out Villar at first after the pitcher belted a line drive. Gatto and first baseman Romero made the play on what appeared to be a sure single to get out of the inning. Villar’s hit would have loaded the bases for Gilroy and brought freshman slugger Jasmine Perez to the plate. Perez hit a three-run homer to lift the Mustangs over No. 11 Mt. Pleasant in their opener.
“She’s phenomenal. She pulls plays out of nowhere,” Smith said of Romero securing the catch from Gatto. “People say, ‘That was a great play by your right fielder,’ but it was a great play by the first baseman, too.”
