Sarah Lira belted a clutch two-out, bases loaded RBI-single to
center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to catapult the
No. 3 Lady Mustangs past No. 6 Leland, 1-0.
SALINAS – Back and forth they went, neither team showing any signs they would be the first to budge – the type of action that signals this was indeed the postseason.
Over the past few years, the Gilroy High softball team has gone through all the highs and lows a playoff run can throw at any team.
Above anything else that experience has allowed the Lady Mustangs to carry a quiet confidence in their arsenal.
“Most of these girls have been here before, whether it’s last year’s CCS run or the Little League World Series, so they know what it’s like to be playing the most important game,” GHS manager Julie Berggren said.
Perhaps that experience was the intangible in Saturday’s Central Coast Section Division I quarterfinals contest against Leland.
A scoreless tie held until the final inning, the Lady Mustangs though, were up to the task and responded like any championship-hungry squad would.
Sarah Lira belted a clutch two-out, bases loaded RBI-single to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to catapult the No. 3 Lady Mustangs past No. 6 Leland, 1-0 – quite a way to kick off their playoff push.
“Honestly, I was trying to keep as calm as possible,” Lira said. “I tried to go up there with confidence.”
The approach worked and Stephanie Rodriguez crossed home plate for the decisive run.
“It’s exciting,” Lira said, unable to hold back an ear-to-ear smile. “I’m just excited to get to PAL (Stadium). That’s where the fun happens now.”
Casey Lester ignited the inning with a leadoff walk and Rodriguez followed with a perfect bunt that was originally designed to be a sacrifice. However, the speedy Rodriguez beat the throw to first, leaving runners on first and second with no out.
After Alissa Castro was retired, Dani Hemeon laid down a perfectly placed bunt of her own and reached safely to load the bases leading to Lira’s single one batter later.
“We had to make it interesting, had to make it exciting, but that’s how we have been playing softball this whole year,” Berggren said. “Our team never quits. They never shut down and never give up. The girls know what it feels like to win and they don’t want to lose.”
A pitchers duel between Leland’s Lindsay Truan and Lira unfolded in the circle, with each entrenched in consistency.
Knocking on the door all game, the Lady Mustangs finally broke through, taking their flair for the dramatic to another level.
“All of us were really nervous about it, but we just needed to get the jitters out,” said catcher and first-team all-leaguer Melanie Morelos.
The Lady Mustangs collected six hits in the game but couldn’t produce the clutch hit until Lira’s game-winner in the seventh.
“It was all in our heads really,” Morelos said of the teams occasional offensive struggles. “We play really well in tight situations. We have a lot of confidence as a team.”
Lira allowed just one hit, which came in the top of the seventh inning – the Chargers’ only real threat of the game – and struck out 10 to earn the victory.
Rheanna Rinauro sneaked one into shallow left field for the Lady Chargers first hit of the game to start off the top of the seventh. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt but did not get any farther as Lira fanned the clean-up hitter Devyn Quevedo and got Jessie Frederini to fly out to right field to thwart the scoring chance.
The win boosts the Lady Mustangs into the semifinals where they will take on No. 2 Fremont on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at PAL Stadium in San Jose.
“We haven’t really spent a whole lot of time this year worrying about the parts of our opponents,” Berggren said. “Just come out play hard and play like we know how. No team’s going to do anything that we haven’t seen.”
Fremont (19-4) defeated Santa Clara on Saturday to move forward.
“Nothing at all,” Morelos assured about adjustments the Lady Mustangs perhaps need to make heading into the semifinals. “We are doing great right now.”
No. 1 San Benito will face No. 4 Wilcox in the other semifinal Tuesday.
