The Gilroy girls Majors belted balls left and right Wednesday
night to beat Utah 6-0.
Vancouver, Wash. – The Gilroy girls Majors belted balls left and right Wednesday night to beat Utah 6-0.
In the team’s second win in as many games at the Western Regionals, Gilroy got the scoring started in the second inning and didn’t quit until the contest was complete.
Ashlee Williams got things rolling in the second with a single, followed by a base hit by Shawnte Garcia. The two runners came home quickly when Randi Rogers hit a single. Manager Dusty Lester saw that the Utah team wasn’t respecting Gilroy’s speed so he sent Garcia galloping for home plate to beat out a late throw.
Gilroy got on the board again in the next frame when Sarina Sandoval bunted for a base hit. She advanced to second on an over throw to first before Kaylana Mah brought her home on a single.
Mah was not only instrumental in the offense – she also scored a run after hitting a triple – but her pitching helped carry the team throughout the game. She gave up only two hits and had six strikeouts in a complete game shutout.
“She pitched really good. That’s two good pitching performances in a row right now” Lester said, referring to the previous game’s no-hitter thrown by Casey Lester.
In the fifth inning, Amber Gamboa hit a double but was thrown out at home after a base hit by Randi Rogers. Celeste Jimenez was next on base with a walk before Aly Olvera got a base hit to plate Rogers.
The final out of the game was a grounder to shortstop Casey Lester, who dove to her right and gunned the ball to second base for the force out.
The 6-0 victory puts Gilroy in great position. With the team set to play rival Southern California (3-0) in tomorrow’s contest, Gilroy’s manager is pleased with the way his ballclub improved its performance after the first game.
“Our bats came around a little bit better today, but we still haven’t hit like I know this team can,” Lester said.
While tomorrow’s game is important for team confidence, Lester said Friday’s matchup with Arizona will be more decisive in whether the team will advance out of pool play. The top two teams from two group brackets will advance to the “final four” of the Western Regionals, with the champion earning the lone spot in the Little League Softball World Series.
Note: Manager Dusty Lester wanted to give special thanks to the Gilroy Firefighters Association, local # 2805, which sponsored the team by providing meals and recreational activities for the players and family while in Vancouver, Wash.
