Change the outcome of a couple plays here and there, and Gilroy
High baseball coach Clint Wheeler thinks his squad could be perfect
after three games. Instead, the Mustangs are 1-2 after beating
Aptos 9-6 on Friday and losing 5-4 in an extra-inning affair
Saturday to Bellarmine. Gilroy lost 4-1 to Leigh in the season
opener Wednesday.
”
We have two losses to two very good programs, and very good
teams,
”
Wheeler said.
”
You take away four separate plays total and we’re probably 3-0
against some good teams. So, we’re excited. Our guys are still
positive.
”
Change the outcome of a couple plays here and there, and Gilroy High baseball coach Clint Wheeler thinks his squad could be perfect after three games. Instead, the Mustangs are 1-2 after beating Aptos 9-6 on Friday and losing 5-4 in an extra-inning affair Saturday to Bellarmine. Gilroy lost 4-1 to Leigh in the season opener Wednesday.
“We have two losses to two very good programs, and very good teams,” Wheeler said. “You take away four separate plays total and we’re probably 3-0 against some good teams. So, we’re excited. Our guys are still positive.”
Trailing Aptos 6-2 after four and a half innings, Gilroy put together its best string of hitting this season in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs. Jordan Holler and Lukas Fortino both recorded doubles in the frame, and Eric Vegas hit one of his two home runs in the game.
Vegas finished 2-for-4 with three RBI.
“We were kind of quiet the first four innings,” Wheeler said. “We had some quick plate appearances. Their pitcher only threw 41 pitches in four innings.
“Obviously, the fifth inning we kind of woke up.”
Better patience at the plate paid off, as the Mustangs added two more runs in the sixth.
Tyler Price got the win in 1.2 innings of work, while freshman Rafael Garcia got the save.
Expected to attend Valley Christian like his older brother David, a junior at the private school in San Jose, Rafael Garcia ended up choosing to stay close to home. He will be a key component in any success the Mustangs have this season.
“That kid competes,” Wheeler said. “He smacks effort every pitch. He just has an unbelievable motor for this game that you love to see.”
The weekend ended on a sour note, as Gilroy dominated Bellarmine for all but the last half-inning. Taylor Chris and Holler both hit home runs for the Mustangs, while Robert Celestino went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
The Bells scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and added one more in the eighth for the win.
Gilroy’s Michael Hartman, Max Fishler and Jose Gamboa all pitched two innings apiece, allowing no runs. Holler came in during the seventh to close out the game and gave up five runs total, but only one was earned.
Wheeler thinks his club will learn from its early mistakes.
“I think it’s good it happens early because you have some sting to motivate you to keep working hard,” he said.
Gilroy’s next game is slated for Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at Soquel (3-0), but Wheeler said he thinks the game could be postponed to Thursday or Friday depending on the weather.
