Hollister
– The San Benito softball team didn’t get a chance to fully
celebrate its first Tri-County Athletic League softball title on
the field.
Hollister – The San Benito softball team didn’t get a chance to fully celebrate its first Tri-County Athletic League softball title on the field.
That’s because when it beat Gilroy 4-2 last week to clinch at least a share of the title, the result of Salinas’ game against Alvarez was unknown. The Cowboys lost that game – clinching the title outright for the Haybalers – but San Benito had to sit through a bye to start the week before it could finally take the field as league champs.
So Thursday, the title winners took the field and put the finishing touches on their league crown with a 9-0 win over North Salinas.
“We put a lot of hard work into this and it paid off,” said sophomore second baseman and leadoff hitter JC Clayton, who also helped the girls soccer team win its first league title in the winter.
The ‘Balers (29-3, 11-1 TCAL) title snaps Notre Dame’s streak of consecutive league championships at five. Considering the strength of the TCAL, in particular with Gilroy and Salinas joining San Benito and Notre Dame as top-flight teams, the crown carries plenty of weight.
“You see TCAL teams in the (Central Coast Section) finals every year,” ‘Balers coach Scott Smith said. “To win this league speaks volumes about the quality of our team. This is a tough league. The title means a lot to us.”
San Benito figures to be among the top three seeds in Division I when the brackets are announced Saturday. That would give the ‘Balers a first-round bye and have them open the postseason May 19.
As the defending CCS champs, the ‘Balers expect to have a lot more pressure on them this year than they did last season.
“There’s more pressure, but I don’t think we’ll feel it,” Clayton said. “We’ll just go out and play hard.”
Clayton, as always, proved to be a spark at the top of the order Thursday. She singled, walked twice and scored two runs. No. 3 hitter Elena Fata was 3-for-4 and scored a run, cleanup hitter Lizzy Gatto was 2-for-3 with a two-run double and two runs scored and Lindsey Clay blasted a third-inning home run. Danielle Scibuola also had a double while sophomore pitcher Marisa Ibarra twirled her 20th shutout.
“I think we’re finally hitting on all cylinders now,” Smith said. “I think if I had to pick a time for us to go into CCS, it’d be right now.”
The ‘Balers finish the regular season on a four-game winning streak and with victories in 16 of their past 17 games.
