Clayton’s walk-off single supplies San Benito with 3-2 win over
Gilroy, second outright TCAL championship in a row
Hollister
Taking the advice of her coach, San Benito freshman Jessica Vest says she remains calm at the plate by simply trying to “slow the music down” in her head.
Two days removed from supplying the game-winning hit at Notre Dame, Vest has turned into one of the team’s clutch hitters, and the musical recommendation has the San Benito Lady ‘Balers dancing.
Vest connected on a game-tying RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning, JC Clayton followed with a walk-off RBI single up the middle and San Benito clinched the Tri-County Athletic League championship outright with a come-from-behind victory Thursday, narrowly defeating the Gilroy Mustangs 3-2 in Hollister.
It is San Benito’s (11-0 TCAL, 24-4) second straight TCAL title.
The Mustangs (6-4 TCAL, 18-7) were held to just one hit up until the seventh inning when they scored two runs on four hits to nab a tight 2-1 lead heading to the bottom half.
But unfortunately for Gilroy, the lead was short-lived.
“We’ve had some tears but that comes with playing a game like that,” said Angelica Galindo, whose RBI double in the top of the seventh supplied Gilroy with the go-ahead run. “In all actuality, we played an amazing game against them and there’s nothing we can do about that. It’s just the way it is.”
Through the first five innings of play, the two rivals combined for just three hits and left six runners on base, as the game became somewhat of a pitchers duel between San Benito’s Marisa Ibarra and Gilroy’s Melinda Ortiz.
Ibarra (20-4) allowed a double to Mustang Kylie Herrada – the second batter of the game – but then cruised to the seventh inning, retiring 17 of the next 18 batters she faced. She finished seven innings strong, allowing two runs on five hits and two strikeouts.
Nonetheless, Gilroy still battled against the league’s top pitcher.
“I think they came out ready to play. They wanted to beat us,” Ibarra said. “This is good heading to CCS, because these are the kinds of games we’ll see in the CCS. We’ll probably see them in CCS.”
San Benito manager Scott Smith feels that it is all but certain the two teams will meet up in the postseason.
“We were a little flat. Gilroy played well and I just told them that we’ve got to pick it up,” Smith said after the game. “I told them before the game that this was our first CCS game. I want to prepare for CCS so let’s prepare for it with that mental approach.
“If we don’t see them again (in the postseason), it’s because we didn’t make it there. They’ll definitely be there.”
The Mustangs, no doubt, are hoping for another chance. With 10 seniors on the squad, a postseason-date against the Lady ‘Balers would seem to be an obvious request.
“They were pumped up the second they got here,” Gilroy manager Catherine Hallada said of her players. “They were loud, intense – they wanted it.
“In a game like this, it’s just a couple key hits. They know they played a great game, but it’s a tough loss.”
Hallada said Ortiz pitched an incredible game, as the senior Mustang threw all seven innings and allowed three runs on five hits. She struck out two.
Ortiz said she didn’t even know it was the last inning when the bottom of the seventh rolled around. She simply pitched like it was the first inning all over again.
“As long as we can come out like we did today, we’ll be fine,” Ortiz said regarding the last two games of the regular season. “We’ve all played together since we were five. It was tough for us because for most of us it’s our senior year and Hollister is our rival.”
San Benito celebrated their Homecoming Thursday, as seven seniors played their final home game of the regular season.
But it was the freshman Vest who got things started for the ‘Balers, as she hit a bouncing single through the infield and into left, scoring pinch-runner Mari Vallejo from second base in the fifth to make it 1-0 San Benito.
Gilroy made it a nail-biter in the seventh when Jasmine Perez led off with a double, was sacrificed over by Brittany Balanesi, and then later scored the tying run on an RBI single from Sarah Lorraine Lira.
Lira later scored on Galindo’s double to make it 2-1 Gilroy.
In the bottom half, though, Vest and Clayton combined for a pair of game-saving hits. Said Vest, “[Smith] just said that close games are good, but he’d like to stay away from them.”
San Benito will play their final regular season game at North Salinas Thursday, while Gilroy will finish at Salinas Tuesday and home to Alisal on Thursday.
GIL 000 000 2 – 2 5 0
SB 000 010 2 – 3 5 0
FROSH NOTE:
San Benito’s Helene Escamilla allowed four hits and struck out nine to lead the Lady ‘Balers past host Gilroy 12-2 Thursday.
The Lady ‘Balers were fresh off an 8-7 victory against Notre Dame on Tuesday in which they scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh to steal the one-run victory.
On Thursday against Gilroy, Escamilla’s three-run triple in the top of the seventh pushed San Benito out to a 10-run lead.
“The girls played hard and were aggressive at the plate and played tight defense,” manager Rebecca Gutierrez said. “I told the girls before the game that I wanted them to play like they did against Notre Dame in the bottom of the seventh (for) the entire game and they did.”
Taylor Wood hit a two-RBI single in the third inning to put San Benito on the scoreboard first, while Elaine Maldonado ripped a single to right-center field, scoring both Escamilla and Alyssa Cabral.
“The girls did not commit any errors,” Gutierrez said. “I am glad the girls stepped it up and played to their potential.”
Wood later hit a double that plated a run to give San Benito an 8-1 lead.
