Daugherty drives in two, Aldridge walks in clincher in 3-2
extra-inning victory over Oak Grove.
GILROY – The Gilroy High softball team was up to its final out in the bottom of the seventh inning – trailing 2-0 to visiting Oak Grove in Thursday’s non-league contest.
With two runners on base, senior first baseman Jenna Daugherty came to the plate looking for a something to drive. Daugherty – a returning starter full of game experience – connected and drove a hard ground ball towards second base. What initially looked like the third out – which meant a third straight loss for Gilroy – suddenly turned into the hit of the day as the Oak Grove infielder booted the hard-hit ball off her cleat and into the outfield. Two Lady Mustangs came around to score – making it a whole new ball game at 2-2.
“We didn’t have to say anything,” said second-year skipper Julie Berggren, of leading up to the seventh frame. “They wanted to win. They wanted to do it. They had the push and the desire to win.”
But the game was not over yet, as Daugherty was nabbed trying to stretch her shot into a triple – ending the seventh all knotted up.
After two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, the international rule came into effect – which places a runner on second base at the start of an inning. Oak Grove was up first – sacrifice bunting the runner over to third base on its first at-bat. One base knock or fly out away from taking the lead – Oak Grove’s next two batters both grounded out without advancing the runner.
The Lady Mustangs had their turn in the bottom half of the 10th – as junior Cherise Martinez started off on second base. Freshman Liz Inez led off – but could not lay down the bunt to move Martinez over. Instead, Inez worked a base-on-balls and Martinez advanced anyway as ball four squirted past the catcher. Inez was given a free steal of second to put runners on second and third with no outs.
“We had excellent discipline at the plate,” Berggren said. “The 10th inning, we definitely stepped it up.”
After junior Jessica Sandoval popped out to short leftfield, senior pinch hitter Laura Hennessee dug in – battling at the plate and earning a free pass to first to load the bases. Sophomore Kayla Aldridge – a first-year transfer from Notre Dame-Salinas – then entered the batter’s box, falling behind 0-1 in the count. But Aldridge did not have to take another cut – watching four straight balls pass her by to force in the winning run and give Gilroy a 3-2 victory, its first of the year.
“We needed a win. Losing our first two games definitely put a damper on the start of our season. The girls have the confidence, but we needed to win to prove it to them,” said Berggren, following the emotionally draining 10-inning affair. “Today was definitely a team effort. Everybody got in and did something for us. We had two pitch runners who came off the bench and came around to score the two tying runs in the seventh.”
The Lady Mustangs (1-2) managed only two singles leading up to the seventh as senior ace Jenn Olvera was not getting the run support in her first game on the hill since finishing up her basketball season in the CCS Semifinals. Olvera was flawless through the first three innings – but she allowed a 2-RBI base hit down the rightfield line in the fourth frame. The way things were going – those two runs could have been the game.
“She has a lot of work to do, but that was an excellent, excellent first game back,” said Berggren of her workhorse, who also singled to center in her first at-bat.
Gilroy – which will compete in the Tournament of Champions starting on March 14 in Morgan Hill – has a solid mixture of veteran experience and youthful energy in its dugout this season. Olvera, Daugherty, Martinez, Sandoval, Hennessee, junior catcher Bria DeLorenzo and senior Dallas Hernandez bring leadership to the table, while Aldridge, Inez, sophomore Melissa Campilli, freshman Kristen Campos, sophomore Christina Hernandez, and sophomore Francesca Lopez add depth to the Lady Mustangs’ line-up. In addition, freshman phenom Sarah Villar – who pitched the first two games of the varsity season – will be up and down this season as needed.
“That’s our philosophy. We’re not going to have freshmen up if they don’t contribute,” Berggren said.
COOPER CALLED IT: In the fifth inning with the Lady Mustangs trailing by two, former softball player and current scorebook keeper Amanda Cooper – who said she will return to the diamond next year – predicted a 3-2 Gilroy win.
