With major graduations from the last two phenomenally successful Hollister softball teams, the 2024-25 squad faced big challenges. An incredibly young team has grown during the year and a solid league campaign has them headed to post-season play again.
Early in the schedule, the Balers took on the best from the Central Coast Section and other areas of California. The squad picked up wins, suffered some defeats and gained experience that has worn well through a competitive league slate. With the regular season finishing this week, the Balers are 6-5 in third place in the Pacific Coast Athletic League, Gabilan Division, and 13-11 overall.
Star pitchers have led Monterey and Salinas to the top of the Gabilan standings. With a game remaining on the regular season slate, the Balers are in third, in a tie with Everett Alvarez. Palma, Watsonville and North Salinas are further back.
The playoffs are guaranteed for Hollister, with play kicking off May 24.
“The season has been going pretty good,” said senior center fielder Grace Peffley, after the May 2 win at North Salinas. “We can get better. We need to keep battling. Our defense is key. It’s very good. And we trust each other and we get along really well.”
The Balers have just three seniors, all in key roles, and the young crew features two freshmen in the starting lineup. Athletic defense in the outfield is a trademark of Hollister softball and this year’s trio is no exception. Peffley anchors it all in center field, with fellow senior Bianca Guerra in right and freshman Aleah Ruiz in left.
Solid Baler infield defense is a tradition and a young group is upholding the legacy. Freshman Sophia Galindo has sparkled at the hot corner. The keystone combo is a pair of juniors in Ashlee Io and Maddy Rodriguez. Another junior, De’Zeyer Fa’agai, is at first. Ava Lenni provides depth at first, with Fa’agai capable of playing in the outfield too.
Depth comes with sophomore Abbigayle Butler, sophomore infielder Abby Espinoza, freshman outfielder Isabel Gonzales and freshman Callie Persijn.
Senior Eliana Hatchett is the primary pitcher, with Avery Chavez at catcher. Hatchett has been superb all season, fashioning a 2.68 ERA against tough competition. She has continued to hold up the Baler pitching mantle, in the footsteps of Sophia Mariottini and Johnny Casares, who were in the circle for CCS Open Division and NorCal teams of 2023 and 2024. Sophomore Kaliyah Ceja has also taken the hill for Hollister.
The pre-season included big wins over defending Central Section Division 1 champion Clovis North 2-1 and current De Anza League leader Los Gatos 2-1. Stumbles came against powerful teams in St. Francis, Willow Glen, Gilroy and The King’s Academy.
Early league play included losses to Monterey 4-3 and Salinas 2-1. The one-run decisions to the league’s two powers showed the Balers’ growth and how close they really are to the Gabilan’s best. The latter part of the campaign has included wins over Watsonville 7-1, Palma 3-2 and 6-1 and North Salinas 5-3.
The offense is paced by leadoff hitter Peffley, with an amazing 29-for-58 .500 batting average. The Boise State-bound center fielder has scored 22 runs and has pilfered an incredible 26 steals. Fa’agai has been hitting well, with a 20-for-54 mark and a .370 average. Chavez has been solid, with a 22-for-65 season and a .338 mark.
The freshman Galindo has provided great defense and a big bat with a team-leading four homers, along with 11 runs, 12 RBIs and a .297 average.
Io, a junior headed to Cal Poly, has delivered defense in the crucial shortstop role and knocked in 13 runs with a .237 average. Rodriguez is at .303 and freshman Ruiz has scorched a team-high five triples.
In the circle is Hatchett, with a 12-10 mark against fierce competition. She has a big responsibility in this pitcher-oriented sport.
“It’s a lot of pressure being the primary pitcher but I enjoy it,” Hatchett said. “I know I have a good defense behind me.”
The 2023 team won the CCS Open Division and NorCal Division 1 titles. In 2024, the Balers competed in both elite levels again.
This year’s team won’t replicate that, but are winning and growing—and will compete in the CCS playoffs at a different level, to be defined when brackets are released on May 19.
There have been many great highlights this year. Io went 2-for-3 against Clovis North and Hatchett threw seven innings, allowing just three hits for the win. Ruiz homered against Monterey and went 2-for-3 with a triple against Watsonville. Rodriguez was 2-for-4 against the Catz and Peffley stole three bases.
Hollister rallied from a 2-0 seventh-inning deficit to score two and then beat Palma in extras. Ruiz was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Chavez, Guerra and Galindo each stole two bases. Hatchett threw nine innings and allowed just one earned run. Galindo was 2-for-3 against Alvarez, with a homer and three RBIs. Chavez and Peffley were both 2-for-3 against Willow Glen and their star hurler, Cal-bound Alanna Clincy. Each stole two bags.
The May 2 victory at North Salinas was fairly typical of the season. The offense produced though not dominant. The pitching was great but the Vikings had some success. And the defense was mostly sharp. Not perfect, but another win.
“We had really good energy today and that brought us up and that led to a good start,” Io said. “We connected well and communicated well.”
A great start launched HHS into a 2-0 lead. In the first inning, Peffley and Rodriguez singled, Io walked and Chavez singled.
In the fifth, a Hatchett triple down the right field line resulted in a score as Guerra followed with a single. In the sixth, nursing a 3-2 lead, the Balers came through. A Lenni hit was followed by a Chavez triple up the left center gap and a Ruiz double to the base of the left center fence. It was 5-2 and Hatchett kept the Vikings at bay.
“We came out with a lot of energy,” Hatchett said. “We were trying to get ahead and stay ahead. We did a pretty good job keeping them off. I tried to work the corners on my pitches and also throw in the change-up.”
The team’s focus is to finish the regular season strong this week against Watsonville. And then to do some damage in the post-season.
“We want to make CCS and win it,” Peffley said.
nice earn