Gilroy had nothing to play for but pride on Thursday. By the
time the sun was starting to set and eight intense innings of
softball were complete, the team had an achievement worth being
proud of.
Portland – Gilroy had nothing to play for but pride on Thursday.
By the time the sun was starting to set and eight intense innings of softball were complete, the team had an achievement worth being proud of.
Gilroy defeated Puerto Rico in the consolation game for fifth place, 10-9, when Shawnte Garcia hit a two-run walk-off home run to win the game in extra innings. It is the second year in a row Gilroy finished in fifth place at the Little League Softball World Series.
After giving up a run to trail 9-8 in the top half of the eighth, Gilroy responded after a short and sweet pep talk from Bench Coach James Jimenez.
“Coach James said just, ‘Hey, win the game, now,’ ” Gilroy Manager Dusty Lester said.
The West representative took all of two batters to make his request a reality.
Alex Zamaripa got base hit single before Garcia blasted a ball over the fence.
“As soon as the pitch was thrown, we were all thinking, ‘come on, come on,’ and she just smacked it,” Lester said.
Zamaripa had three hits and scored two runs while Garcia had two hits to go with her two RBI.
Lester said he still believes his team was the best in the tournament.
“We had two innings where we made errors that cost us two games. Otherwise, we would have been in at least the semifinals,” he said. “But fifth place in the world is not bad.
“(The team) played hard, they battled and they never gave up,” Lester continued. “As a coach, that’s all you can ask for.”
Overall the team had 13 hits n the game and Aly Olvera was credited with the win. Credit must also go to Celeste M. Jimenez who pitched three innings in relief, only giving up one run.
“I knew it was a good team,” Lester said. “I’m not surprised that the girls made it that far. They’re all a good bunch of girls and good ballplayers.”
Little League Parade
Fans can welcome home the team by attending a parade starting at 11am on Saturday. The parade will take place between 7th and 4th streets on Monterey Road, culminating in a presentation for the team’s players and coaches in front of Pinnacle Bank Plaza. Friends, families and fans are encouraged to bring signs and balloons to show support for the girls’ incredible season.
