After sweeping Salinas on Tuesday in league play, the San Benito
Haybalers made it two in a row on Thursday with a come-from-behind
victory (26-24, 13-25, 19-25, 25-13, 15-13) at Watsonville that
took the full five games to decide.
WATSONVILLE
After sweeping Salinas on Tuesday in league play, the San Benito Haybalers made it two in a row on Thursday with a come-from-behind victory (26-24, 13-25, 19-25, 25-13, 15-13) at Watsonville that took the full five games to decide.
Watsonville needed just one more victory to pull out the win, but the Balers managed to score a 25-13 victory in Game 4, then a 15-13 win in the fifth and deciding game in which they trailed by an 8-4 margin early on.
“It showed a lot of character,” San Benito head coach Erica Richardson said. “On the one hand, it was a bummer with the way it started. But on the other hand, I was really proud of the way they finished.”
San Benito is now 3-1 in Tri-County Athletic League play and 5-6 overall.
The Balers, who jumped out to a lead with a 26-24 victory in Game 1, played tense and uptight in the middle games and not only allowed Watsonville to tie the match, but also take the lead.
“We played tense and uptight and had a ton of unforced errors,” Richardson said. “But I just told them they’ve gotta be loose, they’ve gotta have fun.
“And it was amazing. They came out controlled.”
San Benito put away Salinas in three games (25-6, 25-15, 26-24) on Tuesday night as well, but the Cowboys inched closer and closer in each game and Richardson felt it was a “sloppy win” as a result.
Salinas even nearly eked out a win in Game 3, but the Balers pushed forward with a narrow 26-24 win in the end.
“Each game we let them come back and come back and come back,” she said. “It was sloppy. We were missing passes.”
The Balers will visit Alisal on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 5
SANB 26 13 19 25 15
WATS 24 25 25 13 13
TEAM 1 2 3
SANB 25 25 26
SALN 6 15 24
