Behind four home runs, including a grand slam by Brittany Hoff,
the San Benito High softball team won its fourth straight game at
the Annie Lynch Memorial Circle of Champions on Saturday when it
dispatched league rival Notre Dame by an 8-1 margin, and as a
result claimed the tournament championship for a second year in a
row.
SALINAS
Behind four home runs, including a grand slam by Brittany Hoff, the San Benito High softball team won its fourth straight game at the Annie Lynch Memorial Circle of Champions on Saturday when it dispatched league rival Notre Dame by an 8-1 margin, and as a result claimed the tournament championship for a second year in a row.
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The win, which was called in the fifth inning due to the tournament’s seven-run rule, followed a 3-0 victory over Carlmont earlier in the day that advanced the Balers to the tournament championship.
But despite being limited to just three runs against the Scots, the Balers opened up the offense against Notre Dame, scoring seven times in the fourth inning, with all eight of the team’s runs coming via the long ball.
Ellie Burley started things off in the third when she connected on a solo homer.
“It was a monster shot, too,” San Benito manager Scott Smith said. “She crushed it.”
An inning later, and Jessica Steigelman connected on a two-run shot, plating Taylor Fabing as well. San Benito then batted around before loading the bases again for Hoff, who cleared the bases with a grand slam to stake the Balers to a 7-0 lead.
Later in that same inning, though, Jessica Vest had a solo homer to make it 8-0.
The offensive power was a welcoming sing for San Benito, which wasn’t showing much against rival Notre Dame, as it still has at least two scheduled games with the Spirits later this season.
Smith said the Balers weren’t stealing much, weren’t bunting much, and we’re simply just taking their swings at the plate.
“We were very conservative,” Smith said.
San Benito’s No. 1 pitcher in Paige Miguel didn’t start either. Megan Sabbatini instead tossed 4.1 innings and allowed one run on one hit and quieted Notre Dame’s bats.
She also walked two and struck out five in the win.
Miguel came in for relief in the fifth and pitched the final two-thirds of the game, forcing the Spirits into two ground outs, one of which charged a run to Sabbatini’s stat line.
Smith said he didn’t show much earlier in the day against Carlmont; but neither did the Scots.
“We kind of took a similar approach to Carlmont, who didn’t start their best pitcher,” Smith said.
Still, the Balers at least showed enough to tack on three runs and pick up the win.
In that game, Miguel (7IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 7K) allowed just one hit over seven innings, while the Balers, who struggled defensively to the tune of five errors, supplied all of their run support in the fifth, sixth and seventh frames.
In the fifth, Cassidy Heen connected on an RBI single to score Brittany Sparrer; in the sixth, Taylor Fabing knocked in Jessica Vest on an RBI single; and in the seventh, Marissa Adame hit a sacrifice fly to plate courtesy runner Ali Ocampo, who got on base after Nicole Rianda singled.
Meanwhile, Jessica Vest, Marissa Adame and Paige Miguel were named all-tournament on Saturday.
The pair of victories improves San Benito to 4-0 overall this season.
Although the Balers are looking to schedule another non-conference matchup later this week, the team’s next scheduled contest isn’t until Tuesday, March 22, when it will open TCAL play at home against North Salinas.
First pitch is 4:30 p.m.
