Girls’ Majors and Minors All-Star teams win Section 5
championship, move on to NorCals
Sports Editor
Girls’ Majors
On Saturday, the road to the World Series began. And the Girls’ Majors softball All-Stars started it off the right way.
Gilroy, which has six returning players from last year’s Little League Softball World Series team, defeated the San Jose Spartan All-Stars 16-2 on Saturday and 10-0 on Sunday at Gilroy High to earn the Section 5 championship and move on to the Northern California Championship in Concord this weekend. Both games were called after the fourth innings because of the mercy rule.
After a slow start in Game 1, Gilroy broke a 2-2 tie after the first with a four-run second inning. In the sixth inning, however, the Garlic Girls hammered out nine runs to put the game completely out of reach.
Offensively, Kaylana Mah (2-for-2, 1 RB1) and Melanie Morelos (2-for-4, 2 RBI) led Gilroy with two hits apiece. Casey Lester, Michelle Sosa, Celeste M. Jimenez, Nicole Lara and Sarina Sandoval all had one hit apiece.
Pitcher Sam Parraz picked up the win, going all four innings and striking out four.
In Game 2, Gilroy didn’t allow San Jose to score and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. In that inning, Dani Hemeon (2 hits, 2 RBI) and Morelos (2-for-2, double, single, 2 RBI) had singles to drive in one run apiece. The two other Gilroy runs were unearned.
Elaina Vasquez also had a hit in that game. Starting pitcher Sarah Spindell picked up the win. While playing errorless ball in the field, Gilroy continued to build the lead until the game was called after the fourth inning.
The Girls’ Majors All-Stars play next on Friday at 5:30pm in Concord in the opening round of the Northern California Championship.
Girls’ Minors
By the end of the third inning of Game 1 against San Jose NBA, the Girls’ Minors All-Stars had built up an 8-0 lead. In the fourth, Gilroy tacked on two more runs in the 10-0 win.
Pitcher Angelica Carrillo was a force for Gilroy, limiting San Jose NBA to one hit and striking out six batters to pick up the win.
At the plate, Carrillo (2 RBI), Kristen Dennis and Adrianna Ortega (2 RBI) each had hits for Gilroy.
In Game 2, Gilroy needed six innings but still won easily. The All-Stars led 5-2 after three innings, but scored nine runs in the final two to win 14-4.
Ortega (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and Brianna Perez (2-for-3, 1 RBI) led Gilroy offensively. Dennis, Marizza Rodriguez, Reanna Estrada, Holly Lam and Chrissy Simpson each had one hit. Lam also got the win in the circle, striking out six in five innings.
“My girls are playing very solid,” said Girls’ Minors manager D.J. Simpson. “There was good baserunning, good defense and the bats are starting to come alive. The defense is really incredible and our pitching is very solid.”
The Girls’ Minors All-Stars now face the Section 4 champs in the opening round of the Northern California championship at 6pm Friday in Martinez.
