Aggressive base running in the ninth inning gives Haybalers the
1-0 victory over Notre Dame
Even without any big hits or even any balls hit to the the outfield, the San Benito girls softball team found a way to beat Notre Dame, who was ranked No. 11 in the country coming into Monday’s Tri-County Athletic League game.
San Benito (20-5, 8-2 TCAL) scored its only run in the ninth inning to win 1-0.
Notre Dame’s Kim Reeder and San Benito’s Dani Hernandez were stingy with their pitches, and neither one wanted to give in, even with the 90-degree weather that sent fans looking for any shade they could find.
“It really reminded me of the Live Oak game, just reversed” said San Benito coach Scott Smith. “We had runners on all game but couldn’t score. The first chance they get, they score.”
Live Oak won that game 1-0, and San Benito won the first game, 2-0.
“They’re tough,” said Smith of the Acorns. “They are not going to put pressure on us like Notre Dame did. We had 15 popups when we played them.”
Even though the Balers didn’t hit anything to the outfield against Notre Dame, Smith said he would prefer if his team were hitting the ball hard on the ground and forcing the defense to make the plays.
The Balers have a chance to win the league title if they can win the rest of the games including the season finale at Notre Dame.
“We all knew that we wanted it,” said Baler senior Jenny Maheu. “It feels real good to beat a quality team like Notre Dame. It was almost like a CCS game. We will come in wanting it, and they will come in wanting it. It will come down to who is more focused.”
Megan N. Smith led off the bottom of the ninth with a hard hit ball to the shortstop, whose throw was just high to allow Smith to reach base.
JT Temperino sacrificed her to second, and a wild pitch moved Smith to third with one out.
Julie Broyer, who had a walk in the fourth inning, was the Balers’ only other baserunner before the inning started.
Broyer battled off several pitches before drawing a past ball. Smith ran down the line as if she was going to score and then ran back to the base.
Jenny Maheu, who had reached on the Balers’ lone hit – a line drive to the third baseman that just popped out her glove – stole second uncontested and then was able to draw a throw to allow Smith to score.
“The critical mistake Notre Dame made was throwing the ball back to second base,” coach Smith said. “(Maheu) is fast and that puts the pressure on them and eliminated the time they have to make a good decision.”
Smith was able to extend an arm out to just slide under the tag. She was mobbed by happy teammates as the umpire called her safe.
“It was hard when there is two runners on the base,’ Megan Smith said. ‘I heard “go, go, go” and then ‘base, base, base.’ So I went back and then took off. Jenny is a real good baserunner. Her speed really helped.”
“Megan Nicole is real light on her feet and she changes directions real well,” Smith said. “She’s fast and she listens well. Other teams would have probably just beared down and been out.”
Notre Dame (22-1, 9-1 TCAL) constantly threatened to score runs, but the Baler defense came up big when needed. Three times Notre Dame left two runners on base.
“We knew they were going to put some pressure on us,” Smith said.” We took some gambles with how we played our defense. We moved our outfield and infield and gave them some gaps. But when we got in trouble, Dani beared down and made the pitches she had to make.”
Notre Dame had seven hits in the game, and there were just two innings the Spirits didn’t have a base runner on.
The first serious threat came in the third inning after an error and walk put two on with no out. After a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Whitaker, Hernandez got the final two batters to ground out.
In the fifth inning, Alyssa Given beat out an infield hit and was moved over to second base. Lauren Schulzler hit a ball that Maheu, at shortstop, dove for to keep from going into left field, but Maheu had no throw.
Hernandez struck out the next batter looking with a slow changeup and then got the final batter to fly out.
Notre Dame again got something going in the seventh inning. With one on and two outs, Schutzler hit a ball to Maheu, and the low throw pulled Temperino off first base.
Given at third took off for home as Schultzler tried to draw the throw. Temperino looked at second but threw home to Amy Baxter.
“JT made a great throw,” Baxter said. “I was just trying to make sure whatever happened, they didn’t score a run. I was a little surprised but was able to concentrate on the out.”
In the eight inning, Baxter raced up the third base line to tag the runner just before the runner could get back to the base on a blown suicide play.
Some late heroics in the ninth inning set the Balers up for the victory. After a leadoff walk, third baseman Megan C. Smith fielded a slow roller and was able to throw to Maheu to get the force at second as Notre Dame was trying to move over the runner.
After a Spirit infield hit, Maheu fielded a ball and tagged third to force the runner. Left fielder Rachelle Barrientos made the play of the day on a hit just over Maheu’s head.
She charged the ball and threw to Baxter at home to get the runner trying to score from second for the last out.
“I couldn’t quite see if the ball had been caught,” Barrientos said. “But I looked up and saw the girl rounding third, so I threw it home. I haven’t had many opportunities to field many balls because Dani is such a strong pitcher and not many get out here.”
Even without players like Melissa Pura, who had hit two home runs, the Spirits still have a stacked team, Smith said.
“The kids really deserve (the victory),” Smith said. “What we’ll hear is that Notre Dame was missing players. But we have been missing players for three years, and we have never complained about it.”
Even without any big hits or even any balls hit to the the outfield, the San Benito girls softball team found a way to beat Notre Dame, who was ranked No. 11 in the country coming into Monday’s Tri-County Athletic League game.
San Benito (20-5, 8-2 TCAL) scored its only run in the ninth inning to win 1-0.
Notre Dame’s Kim Reeder and San Benito’s Dani Hernandez were stingy with their pitches, and neither one wanted to give in, even with the 90-degree weather that sent fans looking for any shade they could find.
“It really reminded me of the Live Oak game, just reversed” said San Benito coach Scott Smith. “We had runners on all game but couldn’t score. The first chance they get, they score.”
Live Oak won that game 1-0, and San Benito won the first game, 2-0.
“They’re tough,” said Smith of the Acorns. “They are not going to put pressure on us like Notre Dame did. We had 15 popups when we played them.”
Even though the Balers didn’t hit anything to the outfield against Notre Dame, Smith said he would prefer if his team were hitting the ball hard on the ground and forcing the defense to make the plays.
The Balers have a chance to win the league title if they can win the rest of the games including the season finale at Notre Dame.
“We all knew that we wanted it,” said Baler senior Jenny Maheu. “It feels real good to beat a quality team like Notre Dame. It was almost like a CCS game. We will come in wanting it, and they will come in wanting it. It will come down to who is more focused.”
Megan N. Smith led off the bottom of the ninth with a hard hit ball to the shortstop, whose throw was just high to allow Smith to reach base.
JT Temperino sacrificed her to second, and a wild pitch moved Smith to third with one out.
Julie Broyer, who had a walk in the fourth inning, was the Balers’ only other baserunner before the inning started.
Broyer battled off several pitches before drawing a past ball. Smith ran down the line as if she was going to score and then ran back to the base.
Jenny Maheu, who had reached on the Balers’ lone hit – a line drive to the third baseman that just popped out her glove – stole second uncontested and then was able to draw a throw to allow Smith to score.
“The critical mistake Notre Dame made was throwing the ball back to second base,” coach Smith said. “(Maheu) is fast and that puts the pressure on them and eliminated the time they have to make a good decision.”
Smith was able to extend an arm out to just slide under the tag. She was mobbed by happy teammates as the umpire called her safe.
“It was hard when there is two runners on the base,’ Megan Smith said. ‘I heard “go, go, go” and then ‘base, base, base.’ So I went back and then took off. Jenny is a real good baserunner. Her speed really helped.”
“Megan Nicole is real light on her feet and she changes directions real well,” Smith said. “She’s fast and she listens well. Other teams would have probably just beared down and been out.”
Notre Dame (22-1, 9-1 TCAL) constantly threatened to score runs, but the Baler defense came up big when needed. Three times Notre Dame left two runners on base.
“We knew they were going to put some pressure on us,” Smith said.” We took some gambles with how we played our defense. We moved our outfield and infield and gave them some gaps. But when we got in trouble, Dani beared down and made the pitches she had to make.”
Notre Dame had seven hits in the game, and there were just two innings the Spirits didn’t have a base runner on.
The first serious threat came in the third inning after an error and walk put two on with no out. After a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Whitaker, Hernandez got the final two batters to ground out.
In the fifth inning, Alyssa Given beat out an infield hit and was moved over to second base. Lauren Schulzler hit a ball that Maheu, at shortstop, dove for to keep from going into left field, but Maheu had no throw.
Hernandez struck out the next batter looking with a slow changeup and then got the final batter to fly out.
Notre Dame again got something going in the seventh inning. With one on and two outs, Schutzler hit a ball to Maheu, and the low throw pulled Temperino off first base.
Given at third took off for home as Schultzler tried to draw the throw. Temperino looked at second but threw home to Amy Baxter.
“JT made a great throw,” Baxter said. “I was just trying to make sure whatever happened, they didn’t score a run. I was a little surprised but was able to concentrate on the out.”
In the eight inning, Baxter raced up the third base line to tag the runner just before the runner could get back to the base on a blown suicide play.
Some late heroics in the ninth inning set the Balers up for the victory. After a leadoff walk, third baseman Megan C. Smith fielded a slow roller and was able to throw to Maheu to get the force at second as Notre Dame was trying to move over the runner.
After a Spirit infield hit, Maheu fielded a ball and tagged third to force the runner. Left fielder Rachelle Barrientos made the play of the day on a hit just over Maheu’s head.
She charged the ball and threw to Baxter at home to get the runner trying to score from second for the last out.
“I couldn’t quite see if the ball had been caught,” Barrientos said. “But I looked up and saw the girl rounding third, so I threw it home. I haven’t had many opportunities to field many balls because Dani is such a strong pitcher and not many get out here.”
Even without players like Melissa Pura, who had hit two home runs, the Spirits still have a stacked team, Smith said.
“The kids really deserve (the victory),” Smith said. “What we’ll hear is that Notre Dame was missing players. But we have been missing players for three years, and we have never complained about it.”
