San Benito's Jessica Vest dives to tag out the Notre Dame base runner during Wednesday's 10-inning loss to the Spirits in Salinas.

Two TCAL powerhouses go scoreless until ninth inning, but Notre
Dame plates game-winner after international tiebreaker rules were
enforced
SALINAS

It was the international tiebreaker that eventually did in the San Benito Lady ‘Balers on Wednesday at Notre Dame. But if it weren’t for the international tiebreaker, the two teams would probably be playing well into Thursday.

In an epic pitchers’ dual between Hollister’s Marisa Ibarra and Notre Dame’s Kylie Linnane, in a game that provided a lesson in patience for the fans in attendance, the Spirits plated the game’s winning run, its only run, on a walk-off sacrifice fly to shallow left field in the bottom of the 10th inning for an all-too-close 1-0 victory.

Spirit Carly Falconer’s sacrifice to left was just deep enough to score Jessica Clark from third base, ending a string of nine scoreless innings, not to mention Notre Dame’s Tri-County Athletic League losing streak against the Lady ‘Balers dating back to March 29, 2007.

Notre Dame (4-0 TCAL) is now the last remaining undefeated team in league, as San Benito falls to 3-1, their first league loss after 23 straight wins.

“I’m not disappointed with the way the game went. We held on strong. We played good,” second baseman JC Clayton said afterward. “We were pumped. We were ready. We just didn’t connect the hits.”

And Linnane kept the Lady ‘Balers off balance just long enough, throwing 10 innings of two-hit ball, striking out eight.

San Benito left four runners on base in the game, all of whom were in scoring position, but simply couldn’t find the right hit at the right time.

Perhaps their best chance came in the fourth inning, when Jessica Steigleman led off with a single up the middle, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Bre Fata that moved Steigleman to second.

After Jessica Vest’s fielder’s choice advanced the runner to third, freshman Marissa Adame’s hard hit grounder to the left side was snagged by a diving Caitlyn Pura, whose throw to first beat a sprinting Adame by a half-step.

“I think it was a learning experience,” San Benito manager Scott Smith said. “We faced a strong pitcher.

“But it was a well played ball game. Our kids adjusted well.”

International tiebreaker rules were enforced at the start of the 10th inning, which automatically places a runner on second base to begin each frame. While San Benito advanced their pinch runner to third base in the top half of the 10th before Linnane forced a ground out to end the inning, Notre Dame’s Pura bunted Clark over before Falconer lifted a sacrifice to plate the winning run.

“I knew I was risking it, throwing a rise ball,” Smith said. “Marisa did what she was supposed to do, but [Falconer] did what she was supposed to and got it in the air. That was on me.”

Ibarra didn’t allow a hit in the final frame, and scattered five hits over the previous nine innings, striking out seven.

She got out of a jam in the first inning, which saw Notre Dame runners on first and second with one out; and in the fifth inning, when the Spirits had runners on the corners with two outs.

In that inning, Notre Dame attempted to steal second base when the catcher Adame’s quick throw back to Ibarra froze the runner at third base for a brief moment. Ibarra didn’t hesitate, however, and picked off the runner at third to end the fifth-inning threat.

The game finished just shy of the two and a half hour mark and had many wondering whether the sun would set before a victor was decided. And with four of the last five meetings between the two teams decided by one run, three of which came in extra innings, many may be having similar thoughts the next time San Benito and Notre Dame do battle on May 5 in Hollister.

“I think it gave them confidence,” Clayton said. “But we know where we’ll be and we’ll know what to do next time.”

SAN BENITO – 000 000 000 0 – 0 2 1

NOTRE DAME – 000 000 000 1 – 1 5 0

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A staff member wrote, edited or posted this article, which may include information provided by one or more third parties.

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