Sports

Free Lance sports editor Connor Ramey and Dispatch sports editor Erin Redmond discuss the CCS titles from the San Benito and Gilroy softball teams.

The track and field season ended for all but one local athlete Friday at Gilroy High during the Central Coast Section track and field championship.

After finishing the Monterey Bay League season with a perfect 12-0 record, the San Benito softball team was rewarded for its success on the diamond with a Monterey Bay League-high seven all-league selections.

Before the first pitch of Saturday’s Division I Central Coast Section title game against Leland, San Benito starting pitcher Megan Sabbatini was nervous. Despite being a veteran of the title game – having played a role on three championship teams – she didn’t know what to expect.

It didn’t take long for San Benito baseball coach Billy Aviles to note the reasons why the Balers finished the 2013 baseball season one game short of playing for a title. After dedicating the season’s success to three faucets - timely hitting, good defense and strong pitching - Wednesday’s semifinal game wasn’t the Balers best showing.

For most of their softball playing lives, Megan Sabbatini, Brittany Newman and Taylor Fabing have played alongside each other. On Tuesday, the three San Benito High seniors signed letters of intent to play college softball separate from each other.

The South Valley will be well represented at Friday’s Central Coast Section track and field championship at Gilroy High.

For the Balers, pitching wins championships, and during Saturday’s second round Central Coast Section game against Archbishop Mitty, they got a gem from Robert Soto.

Thanks to an eighth inning inside the park home run by Ellie Burley, the San Benito softball team escaped the second round of the Central Coast Section playoffs Saturday in a thrilling 4-3 victory over North Salinas. It’s the fourth time the Balers defeated the Vikings this year.