All three Gilroy Little League softball All-Star teams in the
running for Northern California state titles, Majors’ one game away
from return to West Regional
Girls’ Majors
Game 1: Gilroy 10, Anderson 0
Game 2: Gilroy 12, Manteca All-City 3
Game 3: Gilroy 13, Martinez 0 (4 inn.)
Another trip for Gilroy to the Little League Softball West Regional is just six innings away.
In 100-degree heat, the Girls’ Majors Little League All-Star softball team outscored its first three opponents of the Northern California Division II Little League Softball State Championship 35-3 to earn a berth in Wednesday’s championship game at 3pm at Clayton Valley High School in Concord.
A championship win means the team will represent Northern California in the West Regional this weekend.
Gilroy’s tournament opener with Anderson Friday was a tight pitchers’ duel for most of the game. Anderson’s pitcher came out strong, striking out five of the first seven Gilroy batters en route to a nine-strikeout performance. However, Gilroy’s Sam Parraz went a step further by striking out 11 Anderson batters on her way to a dominating five-inning shutout.
The game remained scoreless through three and a half innings until Gilroy got on the board in the fourth when Melanie Morelos singled and came home on a wild pitch. Gilroy’s bats finally came alive in the fifth, scoring 10 runs on six hits and four walks. Gilroy’s Casey Lester collected two hits to lead Gilroy’s offense. Morelos, Amanda Poso, Stephanie Rodriquez, Michelle Sosa and Elaina Vasquez each had one hit.
In Game 2 against Manteca All-City, Gilroy easily won 12-3 after jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Hits by Morelos (double), Rodriquez (double), Dani Hemeon and Nicole Lara as well as two walks produced the runs. Gilroy got four more runs in the third on hits from Rodriquez (double), Casey Lester and Kaylana Mah.
Gilroy capped off its scoring in the fifth when Vasquez doubled, Poso walked and Sosa reached on an error to drive in the two runs.
Gilroy’s starting pitcher Sarah Spindel went two innings and gave up three runs. Rodriquez came in in relief and shut out All-City in the last four innings. She also led Gilroy’s offensive attack, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and five RBI’s.
In Monday’s third game – in a matchup of the tournament’s two remaining undefeated teams – Gilroy rolled over Martinez 13-0 in a game mercy ruled after 4 innings.
The game was scoreless through the first two innings, but Gilroy racked up four runs in the third inning off two Martinez errors and two walks. The score remained 4-0 going into the fourth inning when Gilroy’s offense sent 13 batters to the plate and exploded for nine more runs. Mendoza, Rodriguez and Spindel had hits during that inning.
Parraz pitched another shutout for Gilroy, striking out seven batters in four innings.
Gilroy will play the winner of Tuesday’s game between Martinez and the winner of Monday night’s game between Morada (Stockton) and Consumnes Little League.
11-year-olds
Game 1: Gilroy 10, Manteca All-City 0
Game 2: Gilroy 12, Antioch 0
Game 3: Manteca All-City 5, Gilroy 1
The Gilroy 11-year-old All-Stars shut out their first two opponents of the Northern California Little League Softball State Championship in Antioch before faltering in Monday’s matchup. Nevertheless, Gilroy will play today at 5:30pm for the championship.
The team opened with a 10-0 win over Manteca All-City Friday and followed that performance up with a 12-0 win over Antioch Saturday. But on Monday, Manteca All-City earned a 5-1 revenge. The two teams face each other once again in tonight’s championship game.
Girls’ Minors
Game 1: Gilroy 7, East Sacramento 6
Game 2: Martinez 2, Gilroy 0
Game 3: Gilroy 12, Linden 3
Game 4: Gilroy 13, Manteca All-City 3 (4 inn.)
After falling in their second outing of the Northern California Little League Softball State Championship, the Gilroy Minors’ All-Stars rebounded and still have a shot at making the championship game.
The team plays Cottonwood today at 5:30pm in Martinez for a bid to Wednesday’s championship.
Gilroy opened the tournament on Friday with a thriller against East Sacramento. Down 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth, home team Gilroy scored five runs to pull out the 7-6 win.
In the crucial sixth inning, Adrianna Ortega’s single drove in the two runs that tied the game at 6-6. Then Marissa Rodriguez came to the plate and belted a triple, sending home Ortega from first for the game-winning run.
Ortega (4-for-4) was perfect at the plate, hitting a triple, double and two singles. Raeanna Estrada and Holly Lam shared pitching duties.
The Minors’ All-Stars bats couldn’t get going in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Martinez. In the circle for Gilroy, Angelica Carrillo pitched the whole game, allowing just one run. The other Martinez run was the result of an error.
On Monday, the team bounced back with a 12-3 victory over Linden behind a dominating 13-strikeout, three-walk pitching effort from Estrada (6 inn.). Gilroy’s bats came alive as well, led by Arianna Vasquez’s two-run home run.
Carrillo (4-for-4, 2 RBI), Ortega (2-for-4, 2 singles), Victoria Vasquez (2-for-2, 2 singles, RBI), Brianna Perez (2-for-2, single, double, RBI) and Kirsten Dennis (bunt double, RBI) also starred at the plate.
The Minors’ All-Stars rattled off another double-digit win Monday. This time, Carrillo was back in the circle, striking out 10 batters in the 13-3 game that was called after four innings.
Nearly half of Gilroy’s runs were driven in by Ortega (3-for-3), who twice belted two-RBI singles and had an RBI triple for a total of five runs batted in. Rodriguez accounted for three RBI’s, going 1-for-3 with a double.
Three other Gilroy batters were also perfect at the bat: Carillo (3-for-3), Arianna Vasquez (2-for-2, 3 RBI) and Victoria Vasquez.
Northern California Little League Softball State Championship
(Double Elimination)
Girls’ Majors (3-0)
Championship Game vs. TBA, Wednesday, 3pm
@ Clayton Valley HS (Concord)
Girls’ 11-year-olds (2-1)
Championship Game vs. Manteca All-City – Today, 5:30pm
@ Antioch West LL (Antioch)
Girls’ Minors (4-1)
vs. Cottonwood, Today, 6pm
(winner to Wednesday’s championship game)
@ Hidden Lakes Park (Martinez)
