No. 6 Mustangs ousted from CCS playoffs by No. 3 Haybalers in
7-0 quarterfinal loss
Salinas – It was just one run. Or so the scoreboard read.
But the first run San Benito scored on Gilroy in the first inning of the CCS Division I quarterfinal seemed to do much more damage than its worth.
In a bid to get their second win over San Benito this season, the sixth-seeded Mustangs fell short in their upset bid of the third-seeded ‘Balers in a 7-0 loss at Salinas Sports Complex Saturday.
“I thought, ‘One run is nothing’ and it was the first inning,” said Gilroy junior Patty Olvera, who had two of Gilroy’s five hits. “I thought we’d go up (to bat) and do our thing. But nothing happened.”
Hitting woes and a few bad breaks ultimately doomed Gilroy, which finished out the season at 15-10. San Benito moves on to play No. 2 Carlmont today in the semifinals at San Jose PAL Stadium at 7pm.
In addition to Olvera, junior Yolanda Esquivel and sophomore Caitlyn Pierotti each had singles for Gilroy. Freshman Jasmine Perez had the Mustangs’ only extra-base hit of the day, a double.
In the circle, senior starter Sarah Villar went four innings, allowing five runs and four hits and striking out two in the loss. Olvera pitched the final three innings.
For San Benito, freshman Marissa Ibarra pitched the complete game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out six.
Going into the game, Gilroy and San Benito had split two regular season games in Tri-County Athletic League play.
“We won the first, they won the second,” Olvera said. “I thought it was our turn but we came up short.”
A communication breakdown on Gilroy’s end helped the ‘Balers get their first run. With ‘Baler freshman Jacqueline Clayton (single) on second base after a steal, sophomore Audra Brown lofted a fly ball just over second base. Gilroy center fielder Yolanda Esquivel and second baseman Lauryn Chris both ran to make the catch, but both stopped short and looked to the other to make the play. The ball dropped between them as Clayton crossed home.
“It definitely set the tone from there,” said Gilroy head coach Catherine Hallada about the play. “We were about to save the inning without any runs scoring, which would have pumped us up.”
For the entire game, the usually stable Gilroy defense appeared to be shaky.
“We were definitely a step behind on defense,” Hallada said.
The first-inning run gave the ‘Balers the edge. Then a four-run third inning broke the game wide open.
Clayton, who found her way on base in all four place appearances for San Benito, led off the third by milking a walk from Villar. With San Benito’s next batter, No. 3 hitter Kristen Archuleta at the plate, Clayton stole second. Archuleta then ripped a shot down the third base line that handcuffed and bounced off the glove of Gilroy third baseman Angelica Galindo, which brought home Clayton to make it 2-0. Brown’s single put two runners on for San Benito. Sophomore ‘Baler Lindsey Clay then hit a two-out triple in the gap between right and center field to clear the bases and give the ‘Balers a 4-0 lead. The next batter, senior first baseman Ari Romero, drove in Clay for the ‘Balers’ fourth and final run of the inning with a bloop single that dropped in front of second base.
San Benito scored its final two runs on RBI doubles each from Archuleta and Brown in the sixth inning.
Meanwhile, Gilroy struggled at the plate to get a handle on Ibarra.
“We were making contact, but not consistently and we weren’t finding holes,” Hallada said. “We seemed a little flat.”
The Mustangs had a near-breakthrough in the top of the sixth inning. Esquivel and Olvera got on base with singles. That brought Villar to the plate, who smacked what looked like a guaranteed single to the right side of the field. But San Benito right fielder made a great play on the ball and threw Villar out at first. The senior’s hit would have loaded the bases for Gilroy and next batter Perez, who hit a three-run homer to help lift the Mustangs over Mt. Pleasant in their opener.
“It seemed a little too close for me,” said Hallada, who was coaching first base when the play happened. “It’s just too bad. If we could have scored in that inning, it would have made a big difference.”
Gilroy’s CCS appearance wasn’t all for naught. The young Mustangs’ win in the first round was the program’s first in three years. Gilroy did not make the playoffs last season or in 2004. Olvera felt the young team – which returns everyone but Sonoma State-bound Villar and center fielder Liz Ines next year – made a statement.
“Since we got here (for the opening round) Wednesday, every one has been looking at us like we don’t belong here,” Olvera said. “But I had high expectations for this team.”
