This time Gilroy was ready for Brittin Larsen. The hard-throwing
Alvarez right-hander stifled the Mustangs the first time the teams
met, allowing just four hits. Gilroy made its seven hits count
Thursday as it beat the Eagles 5-3 in a Tri-County Athletic League
contest in Salinas.
This time Gilroy was ready for Brittin Larsen.
The hard-throwing Alvarez right-hander stifled the Mustangs the first time the teams met, allowing just four hits. Gilroy made its seven hits count Thursday as it beat the Eagles 5-3 in a Tri-County Athletic League contest in Salinas.
“We hit a lot better this time,” GHS coach Catherine Hallada said. “We were making better contact and getting baserunners on in every inning. We played aggressively.”
The Mustangs (19-7 overall, 4-3 TCAL) won the first meeting between the teams 1-0 only because Patty Olvera was a little better that day than Larsen. Olvera again got the better of the Alvarez hurler, but Larsen caused some anxious moments during the seventh when her towering double to left field delivered two runs.
Only this time, Gilroy carried a 5-1 lead into the seventh with Amanda Tellez delivering the clutch hits.
The Mustangs scored once in the first as Lauryn Chris had a bunt single, Brittany Balanesi walked, Tellez sacrificed and Jasmine Perez singled for her team-leading 31st RBI.
Gilroy got two more in the second on Tellez’s single. In the fourth, Yolanda Esquivel was safe on an error, Balanesi had an RBI triple, and Tellez followed with a run-scoring single.
Olvera, who yielded a solo home run to Whitney Massey in the third, pitched a five-hitter with a season-high 10 strikeouts and two walks. Chris and Tellez had two hits apiece.
The Mustangs will attempt to reach the 20-win mark Tuesday when they host Notre Dame, a game the girls have been pointing to all season.
“They’re really looking forward to that game,” Hallada said. “I’m still pretty confident with team, where we’re going and what we can do.”
Gilroy 120 200 0 – 5 7 1
Alvarez 001 000 2 – 3 5 2
Olvera and Pierotti; Larsen and Massey. 2B-ALV, Larsen. 3B-GIL, Balanesi. HR-ALV, Massey.
