Lady Mustangs defeat Acorns 4-3 with two-run rally in the bottom
of the 11th inning
Gilroy – At the plate in the bottom of the 11th inning with the score tied 3-3, Gilroy senior Liz Ines took a swing at a pitch from Live Oak hurler Tricia Goularte, popped the ball up and got mad.
“I was pissed off,” said Ines. “I was really upset.”
Upset because Gilroy had two outs against it and the winning run on third.
But Ines kept running, and as she did, her towering pop-up to the pitchers’ circle bounced off a Live Oak mitt and to the ground in an infield miscommunication. Gilroy’s Yolanda Esquivel scored from third, giving Gilroy the thrilling come-from-behind 4-3 win over Live Oak at home Thursday evening.
It was certainly a way to kick off the final year of a very competitive and storied Gilroy/Live Oak Tri-County Athletic League softball rivalry.
“(The girls) were in it the whole game. They never let their heads go down and they kept preparing,” said first-year Gilroy head coach Catherine Hallada. “(Live Oak) has a really strong team. If it wasn’t for our defense to back up (pitcher) Sarah Villar…They definitely challenged us.”
Gilroy keeps rolling at 6-1 overall and 2-0 in TCAL as the Mustangs head into their next contest, an away game at Notre Dame Thursday. Live Oak (4-2-1 overall) dropped to 0-2 in TCAL.
Villar (8 strikeouts, 9 hits) went the distance, improving her perfect record to 5-0. Brittany Balanesi (double, 2 RBI’s, walk), Lauryn Chris (2 hits, sacrifice), Esquivel (hit), Patty Olvera (hit) and Amanda Tellez (hit) led the Mustang offense.
For Live Oak, April Herrera (double, RBI) and Sara Locarnini (double) both went 2-for-5.
Live Oak, the defending Central Coast Section Division I champion, made it an uphill battle for Gilroy early. By the middle of the fourth inning, the Acorns had built a 2-0 lead. But in the bottom of the fourth, the Mustangs charged back.
With two outs and teammates Jasmine Perez (fielder’s choice) and Villar (reach on error) on first and second, sophomore catcher Balanesi came to the plate and ripped a double to center field.
“It went off the bat and felt so good,” Balanesi said.
Perez scored and Villar headed for home as well. The throw to Live Oak catcher Herrera was dead on and it looked like the Acorns were going to get the senior at the plate. But as Villar tried to slide and collided with Herrera, the Live Oak catcher dropped the ball and Villar was called safe. The senior was slow to get up.
“I…Wow,” said Villar, in reaction to the play. “That catcher (April Herrera), she’s really good at blocking the plate. I felt bad about ramming into her, but I had to.”
Villar and Live Oak’s top pitcher Tricia Goularte battled for six more scoreless innings. But in the top of the 11th, Live Oak outfielder Sabrina LaCorte whacked Villar’s first pitch to center field. That drove home Acorn shortstop Kelly McDonald from third to give Live Oak the 3-2 lead. McDonald had started the inning on second base as part of the international tie-breaker rule that goes into effect in the 10th inning.
Gilroy got out of the inning and was faced with a score-or-go-home situation. Balanesi led off the inning, milking a full-count walk from Goularte. Esquivel reached on a fielder’s choice bunt as Villar (international tie breaker runner) was forced out at third. Second baseman Chris slapped a single over the shortstop, scoring Balanesi to tie the game at 3-3. Two batters later, Ines came to the plate and put the ball into play to help the Mustangs win.
“They’re a really outstanding hitting team and basically defense is what saved us,” Villar said. “There was not a single player on this team who gave up.”
Added Balanesi, “We just believed in each other and backed each other up.”
Gilroy (6-1, 2-0); Live Oak (4-2-1, 0-2)
WP: Villar (5-0) LP: Goularte (3-2-1)
