DeLorenzo knocks in game-winning run in ninth inning of 4-3
victory over Salinas
GILROY – Senior catcher Bria DeLorenzo never understood it.
Although she was surrounded by young players – including five freshman starters of six on the roster – the team leader knew the Lady Mustangs were much better than what their record showed.
Gilroy, which finally broke an eight-game league losing streak with Monday’s 3-0 win over Live Oak, was 2-8 in T-CAL and 9-13 overall – but DeLorenzo still felt she was on a playoff-caliber team.
She may be right.
The Lady Mustangs showed why Wednesday with a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory over league-foe Salinas, which they defeated for second time in three meetings and the first since opening day.
And driving in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning was none other than DeLorenzo, who smacked an RBI single back up the middle with two strikes in the count to drive in freshman Yolanda Esquivel (2-for-4, 2 runs-scored, walk).
“I was just looking to make contact. If it was not the pitch I wanted, I was just going to foul it off,” said DeLorenzo, who is headed to Notre Dame University in Belmont on scholarship next fall. “I was just looking to make contact and poke one through. It was a fastball or curve that didn’t work right. It was right down the middle.”
But DeLorenzo is living in the moment for now, savoring the latest victory and hoping her team can win its next four games to finish the regular-season on a six-game winning streak and get into the post-season. Gilroy has made the playoffs the last six seasons and DeLorenzo was a part of the last three.
“Finally, we got back to the way we were playing in the beginning of the year,” said DeLorenzo, who had high expectations after Gilroy won seven of the first nine games. “We can beat the Hollisters and the Notre Dames. I think we play better against stiff competition.”
The Lady Mustangs have a tough task ahead with Tuesday’s home game against Hollister (20-6, 8-3), which beat Gilroy in the first two meetings of the season and upset previously unbeaten Notre Dame on Monday, 1-0. But the Lady Haybalers suffered a 4-2 loss on Wednesday against Live Oak at home.
“Hollister lost to Live Oak. We beat Live Oak. Hollister beat Notre Dame,” DeLorenzo said. “Anything can happen in a game in this league.”
Gilroy demonstrated that by taking out Salinas (6-15, 2-9) in the second extra frame.; Esquivel led off with a bloop single to left field and junior shortstop Kayla Aldridge followed with another shallow shot that just fell inside the right-field foul-line. Then, DeLorenzo delivered to finish the day 2-for-4 with two runs-batted-in and an intentional walk.
“Bria came through at the end. That’s what you expect the leader to do,” head coach Julie Berggren said. “It was nice to see her smile. This win means a lot to her and to the whole team.”
Salinas got on the board early with a run in the top of the first, but the Lady Mustangs answered right back in the bottom half. Esquivel’s single started it and DeLorenzo’s first RBI single tied the score.
Sophomore hurler Sarah Villar pitched a gem, going strong for nine innings despite battling shin splints. The Lady Mustang ace gave up one earned run – Salinas’ other two runs came with errors – on eight hits, while striking out four and walking two.
“She really battled,” said Berggren of Villar. “She’s been suffering from really bad shin splints, but it would take a broken leg to get her off the mound.”
The Lady Mustangs broke the 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning. After freshman outfielder Patty Olvera’s lead-off walk, freshman Russhelle Preeshl sacrifice bunted her to second and freshman Amanda Tellez drove her in with an RBI single.
The tide turned against Gilroy in the fifth inning, as the Lady Cowboys scored two runs to take a 3-2 lead. With two on and no outs, Salinas laid down a bunt to advance the runners and got even more.
The batter kicked the ball coming out of the box, but both umpires did not see it. Freshman first baseman Erin Magill still fielded the ball, but her throw went high and into the outfield. The tying run crossed the plate and Salinas still had runners at the corners.
After Tellez made a heads-up play at third – fielding a grounder, faking the throw to first, and catching the lead runner off the bag – Villar allowed an RBI single. Gilroy, however, kept its composure in the field, ending the fifth with a sweet double-play from Tellez to DeLorenzo at home to Magill at first.
“We got huge defense when it counted today,” Berggren said.
Although they did not retaliate in the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Mustangs tied the score one inning later with an RBI single from Magill and finished it in the ninth inning with the team’s 11th hit of the game.
“It’s really coming around,” said Berggren, whose squad seems to have broken out of its hitting slump in time for the stretch run. “We’re going take this all the way into Hollister on Tuesday. We get to play them at our home, which is nice. … We told the girls to take it one game at a time and just see what happens. They are having fun out there.”
DeLorenzo knew her teammates had it in them all along.
“I knew we had a good team,” she said. “We can win any game we play.”
