To say San Benito’s Elena Fata is on a hot streak would qualify
as a severe understatement.
To say San Benito’s Elena Fata is on a hot streak would qualify as a severe understatement.
The junior shortstop went 3 for 3 on Friday in a 6-2 win over Wilcox in the Mission City Invitational at Mission College, making her 13 for 13 in the four tournament games and extending a run of 14 straight at-bats with a hit. She hasn’t been retired since a fourth-inning strikeout in a 7-0 win over Gilroy on April 3, which came an inning after she blasted a grand slam.
“Every ball she’s hitting, she’s hitting hard,” Haybalers coach Scott Smith said. “They tried to pitch her away and she tripled to right field.”
Fata’s triple – her third in the tournament to go along with a home run – came during San Benito’s four-run top of the fifth that broke the game open.
With the ‘Balers holding a 2-1 lead entering what was going to be the final inning due to the time limit, Ashley Perriera led off with a hit by pitch. With Kelsey Russell pinch-running, Alyssa Ashford bunted her over. Danielle Scibuola reached on a bunt single and JC Clayton fisted a ball to reach on an infield single, with Russell holding at third.
Rachel Maheu delivered a sacrifice fly to score one run and Fata blasted the triple to make it 5-1. Lizzy Gatto followed with a hard hit ball to third that Wilcox couldn’t come up with as Fata scored.
The Chargers put a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth, but didn’t have enough firepower to mount a comeback against San Benito pitcher Marisa Ibarra, who is still battling an illness.
“We’re still a little groggy, a couple kids are still sick. Marisa isn’t at her best yet but she did a lot better,” Smith said. “The nice thing is different kids in the lineup are contributing and we haven’t played our best game yet.”
The ‘Balers started the scoring in the first when Maheu reached on a drag bunt single and eventually scored on a passed ball. They added a run in the fourth when Fata singled, was bunted to second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a Gatto sacrifice fly.
Wilcox responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth before San Benito broke it open in the fifth.
The ‘Balers advanced to the semifinals at 11am today at Mission College, where they will face Evergreen Valley. Live Oak takes on Lynbrook in the other semifinal. The winners meet in the title game at 1pm, while the losers will also square off at 1pm.
San Benito 1 0 0 1 4 – 6 8 0
Wilcox 0 0 0 1 1 – 2 4 2
