The Silicon Valley/Gilroy Glory 16-and-under softball team ended
the summer with a bang, going undefeated to win a state
championship qualifier in Hayward. The team went 6-0, outscoring
their opponents 41-6 over the course of the two-day tournament, and
captured the championship with a 13-4 runaway victory.
The Silicon Valley/Gilroy Glory 16-and-under softball team ended the summer with a bang, going undefeated to win a state championship qualifier in Hayward. The team went 6-0, outscoring their opponents 41-6 over the course of the two-day tournament, and captured the championship with a 13-4 runaway victory.
Vanessa Santoya, Sarah Sendejas and Sarah Spindel shared the pitching duties, each going 2-0. Spindel and Santoya also were among the batting leaders for the Garlic Girls, batting .583 and .545 for the tournament. Other leading hitters included Lindsay Holt, who hit at a .571 clip, and Adriana Osuna, who batted .500. Osuna also led the team in runs scored with nine, while Erin Leggett scored six times, and Holt and Santoya scored five times. Other contributing players included: Julie Wallace, Marissa Gamboa, Ally McClintic, Jen Gross, Kaitlin Muraoka, and Liz Wallace.
The locals won the championship against the Milpitas Renegades, despite giving up an early four-run lead. However, in the fourth inning, the Glory caught fire by scoring 10 runs. Holt had two hits in the decisive inning, including one double, with Spindel also hitting a two-bagger. Spindel came on in relief of starting pitcher Santoya to get the win by throwing three scoreless innings.
The Glory went into championship Sunday as the number-one seed in the 10-team tournament. They outscored three opponents on the first day by a score of 17-4. Sendejas hurled a 4-hitter as the locals smashed the Stockton Rage 11-1. Santoya pitched a three-hitter in a 3-2 win over the Tracy Titans. Spindel got the win in a 3-1 victory over the Campbell Havoc. Leggett led the team in hitting in those three wins by batting .500. In the quarter- and semi-finals on Sunday, the Glory edged the Alameda Sting 5-4 and the San Lorenzo Lady Patriots 6-4. Sendejas and Santoya were the winning pitchers. Holt had a triple, with solid defense provided by Liz Wallace at second base, Julie Wallace at catcher, Osuna at shortstop, Leggett in right field and McClintic at third base.
The Silicon Valley/Gilroy Glory is made up of girls from Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Juan Bautista. They are managed by Joey Gonzales and coached by Aurelio Sendejas and Roy Holt.
