GILROY – A big win can do wonders for any ball club, and on
Tuesday, the Gilroy High softball team walked off the diamond with
its most important win of the season – so far.
GILROY – A big win can do wonders for any ball club, and on Tuesday, the Gilroy High softball team walked off the diamond with its most important win of the season – so far.
Dani Hemeon poked a Shanae Gasperson fastball into right field, scoring Michelle Sosa as the Lady Mustangs knocked off Notre Dame 2-1 in dramatic, extra-inning fashion in a crucial Tri-County Athletic League showdown.
“It was a flub but it fell,” Hemeon said. “Some hitters will say just look for your pitch. I hit the first pitch. If one looks decent I’m going to swing at it and hit it hard someplace.”
The ninth-inning RBI-single by Hemeon sent the dugout screaming onto the field in jubilation while silence fell upon the Spirits, who were looking to distance themselves from the Lady Mustangs in the TCAL standings.
However, the GHS win only further gridlocks the top of the leader board, with both the Lady Mustangs and Spirits tied for second at 7-2. San Benito holds the edge at the moment at 7-0.
“I’m just so proud of the girls,” GHS manager Julie Berggren said. Yeah, we had some errors that could have hurt us, but they didn’t. They played together. Everybody held their heads up.”
Sosa led off the decisive ninth with a single. Following an unsuccessful attempt to advance her to second via a sacrifice bunt, Casey Lester ripped a sharp, one-out base hit to left, and just like that the Lady Mustangs were in business. Stephanie Rodriguez hustled for an infield single to load the bases, setting the table for Hemeon’s game winner two batters later.
Sarah Lira went the distance on the rubber for the Lady Mustangs, surrendering the lone run in the top of the first inning.
Caitlyn Pura singled home Tiffany Meeks, who had doubled, to put the Spirits up 1-0 in the opening frame. And although they knocked on the door a couple more times during the game, Lira made sure not to let them in, working her way out of a couple of tight jams.
“I told my defense I really needed them today,” Lira said. “They really helped me out.”
The junior avoided the big inning in the fourth, stranding runners on second and third, and in the top of the ninth.
“I guess I just go for my spots and my catcher (Melanie Morelos) worked with me in different situations,” Lira said.
The Lady Mustangs tied the game in the bottom of the second with Lester drawing a bases-loaded walk to chase home Lindsay Holt.
Lira’s counterpart in the circle, Gasperson, was just as stingy with the Lady Mustangs’ bats, yielding a mere four hits through eight innings.
Gilroy finally figured out the senior hurler in the ninth, grinding out four base hits.
Both Lira and Gasperson were meticulous in mixing up their pitches to keep the opposing batters off balance all game.
“This is a huge win for us for multiple reasons,” Berggren said. “Now if (Notre Dame) can turn around and beat Hollister that would really help us out.”
The race to the playoffs is hitting the home stretch, adding more and more drama to each contest.
Team’s that finish one-two in the final TCAL standings receive automatic bids to the Central Coast Section playoffs, adding more significance to games late in the season.
The Lady Balers and Spirits play each other Friday and next Tuesday, while the Lady Mustangs close out the year May 13 against San Benito.
“We need to either get first or second,” Berggren said. “It’s so much easier to just qualify as opposed to beating someone out on points.”
