Balers win fifth in a row with 14-1 victory over Salinas
SALINAS –– The San Benito baseball team has been almost unstoppable in the second half of the season.
After a slow start this year, the Haybalers have won five games in row and are making a serious run at the playoffs.
“We’ve been a tale of two seasons,” said coach Derek Barnes. “In the first half, we were just learning the varsity system. Now we are a team on a mission.”
The Balers (16-12, 8-6 TCAL) secured a .500 overall record needed to qualify for the post season after the 7-1 victory over Palma on Tuesday and then secured a .500 league with the 14-1 dominant victory Thursday over Salinas, who had won both previous matches.
San Benito will wrap up its league season with a home game against first-place Palma on Monday.
A ten-run eight-hit fourth inning opened the doors against Salinas. San Benito sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning.
Justin Patton got the win, pitching all five innings in the shortened game. Salinas had just four runners get past first base.
Drew Quintana started the rally in the fourth inning after getting hit by a pitch. Brian Rossi doubled to score Quintana. Breyon Canez brought in a run with a single. Anthony Synegal hit a two-RBI triple and scored on a double by Karson Klauer.
Quintana brought in two more runs with a single, and Rossi hit a two-RBI triple. Patton capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
San Benito scored a pair of runs in the first and third innings.
In the first inning, Klauer, who was 3 for 4, had an RBI double, then scored on an error. And in the third inning, Klauer brought in two more with a single. Klauer is third in the league in hitting and has a batting average over .500.
“He’s really been consistent all year,” Barnes said. “He is not a long-ball hitter yet. He may hit a couple over the next few years, but he is more of a gap-to-gap type hitter.”
Eight of the starters had hits for the Balers.
“Our focus all year has been on hitting, and we are starting to see dividends now,” Barnes said. “This is the way we thought we would be playing at the start of the year. But it is better to be playing hot at the end of the year.”
Salinas (5-9 TCAL, 11-16) was one of those teams that had a good start but has since been in a slump.
