Watsonville – Putting their Gilroy Little League All-Star jerseys aside and donning their club uniforms, the Gilroy Chaos 10-and-under travel softball team stayed hot in the summer heat with a second-place finish last Sunday at the 2005 Strawberry Jam Watsonville Tournament.
Just two days after finishing first in Northern California with their Minors All-Star squad, 11 of the 12 girls on the Chaos returned to club play.
On Sunday, the Chaos stormed out to 6-0 lead in the first inning in the title game against the Castro Valley Synergy, but the Synergy battled back to win the game and the championship in its last at-bat.
“We watched the game slip right through our fingers and it hurt,” said Chaos manager James Jimenez.
Chaos starter Casey Lester pitched well, allowing four earned runs and striking out seven in five innings, while Ashlee Williams went 4 for 4 with three RBI’s and Randi Rogers was 3 for 3. Aly Olvera belted a double with the bases loaded to help the Chaos cause.
In pool play on Saturday the Chaos won their first game against the Santa Cruz Crushers, 10-3. Celeste M. Jimenez pitched four innings and struck out six, while helping her own cause by going 2 for 2 at the plate. Shawnte “Big Dog” Garcia was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI’s.
Next in line was the Los Gatos Magic. Casey Lester tossed three innings of
no-hit ball and struck out nine in the Chaos’ 14-0 victory. Kaylana Mah had a single, a double and a triple, and Gabbie Solario, Ashlee Williams were each 3 for 3. Mah, Solario and Williams combined for 7 RBI’s in the game.
In the girls’ final game on Saturday, Garcia’s grand slam highlighted the win that put the Chaos through to the tournament playoffs.
Gilroy squared off against another undefeated team, and a regional rival – the Morgan Hill Pride. In the pitching duel that ensued, Jimenez pitched five innings without giving up a hit and struck out 11 in a 4-2 Chaos win. Lester scored twice in the win, and Mah provided two hits, two runs, and two RBI’s.
