GILROY – Anchored by a three-hit, 11-strikeout gem from pitcher
Taylor Chris, the No. 5-seeded Gilroy High baseball team trumped
No. 12-seeded Oak Grove 7-2 in the first round of the Central Coast
Section Division 1 playoffs Wednesday afternoon in Gilroy.
GILROY – Anchored by a three-hit, 11-strikeout gem from pitcher Taylor Chris, the No. 5-seeded Gilroy High baseball team trumped No. 12-seeded Oak Grove 7-2 in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division 1 playoffs Wednesday afternoon in Gilroy.
The win gives the GHS program its first playoff victory in three seasons and a berth into the quarterfinals where it will face No. 4 Serra on Saturday at St. Francis High School. Game time is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start. The Padres eliminated No. 13 Silver Creek by a 12-2 margin on Wednesday.
“It felt like everything was working today,” Chris said of his outing. “I was just mixing it up.”
Whatever mix Chris was tossing at the baffled Eagles was definitely the right blend of off-speed pitches and a swing-and-miss fastball. The first-team all-leaguer was dialed in throughout the contest, consistently keeping the Eagles off balance and reaching.
“Taylor is our guy and that’s what he does,” GHS manager Johnny Ramirez said. “Give him the ball in big games and he usually delivers for you.”
However, as quiet as the Eagles’ bats were, the Mustangs weren’t making much noise either – at least through the first three innings.
The Mustangs did manage to push a run across in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Senior Jordan Holler scored on a wild pitch from Oak Grove’s Chris Gomez after leading off the game with a walk. He then worked his way around the bags, stealing second and advancing to third on a passed ball.
Without a hit through three full, the Mustangs exploded in the fourth, rattling off six straight hits en route to a six-run, eight hit barrage to extend the advantage to 7-0.
“I just think we needed to get into a rhythm,” sophomore catcher Jordan Dexter said. “We needed somebody to start it off and as soon as somebody did we knew it would just go.”
Dexter was that somebody, leading off the fourth frame with a single, which did in fact open the flood gates. Eric Vegas followed with a smoldering double down the left-field line to put runners on second and third with no outs. Brent Newton, who played shortstop and was inserted into the fifth spot in the lineup, replacing regular starter Bubu Garcia, came through with an RBI-single.
Garcia, the Mustangs’ everyday shortstop and first-team all-leaguer, is lost for the postseason with an ankle injury.
“Bubu was a big key for our offense and defense,” Ramirez said. “But my team responded like I though they would. They picked up the pieces and we didn’t miss a beat.”
Following the Newton hit, Neal Dinsmore’s infield hit loaded the bases for Reed Kienle, who delivered a run-scoring knock to left, plating Vegas. Gabe Bonilla’s sacrifice fly broke the string of six consecutive hits but brought in Newton. Chris Urtiz chased Gomez from the game with a RBI-single, and Dexter finished the onslaught with a two-RBI single.
“The people that needed to step up stepped up and played the game that we needed to,” Chris said.
Chris surrendered two runs in the top of the seventh, but just one was earned.
“He wanted that complete game,” Ramirez said.
The Padres, as the No. 4 seed last season, ran the table and beat West Catholic Athletic League counterpart Archbishop Mitty 5-4 in the championship game.
“You can’t go three innings with out getting a hit against a West Catholic team, we know that,” Ramirez said. “But if we do our job on defense, we can hold them to goose eggs, too.
The defending champs spent time as the No. 1 team in the section this season and are currently ranked No. 2 in CCS, according to the San Jose Mercury News Top 15. Gilroy is No. 14.
“Am I worried? No,” Ramirez assured. “My guys want this second-round game. We know we have to go through the West Catholic in the bracket. If you let us hang around long enough, we are going to fight.”
Other Division I results from Wednesday.
#1 Mitty def. #16 Carlmont, 9-3
#8 Salinas def. #9 Santa Teresa, 7-1
#2 San Benito def. #15 Milpitas, 10-0
#7 Valley Christian def. #10 Wilcox, 3-0
#14 Menlo Atherton def. #3 St. Francis, 9-5
#6 Bellarmine def. #11 Homestead, 10-0
Saturday’s quarterfinal matchups: All games at St. Francis High School
Bellarmine vs. Menlo Atherton 10 a.m.
Serra vs. Gilroy 1 p.m.
San Benito vs. Valley Christian 4 p.m.
Mitty vs. Salinas 7 p.m.
