Tucson — The Gilroy Junior All Star softball team certainly knows how to make an entrance.
The girls from Gilroy, representing Northern California, opened play at the Western Regional competition in Tucson, Ariz. with a 12-0 win over Oregon in five innings.
Gilroy already had a 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, but the hits kept coming.
With a run already across — Liezl Clark scored from third on an Oregon error — runners stood on second and third were when Cynthia Del Real stepped up to the plate. Del Real hit a hard ground ball to right field, scoring Michaela Decker and Nicole Villanueva which increased Gilroy’s lead to 8-0.
Del Real stole second and eventually was able to take her place at third base after Maria Sandoval hit an infield single. Stephanie Amstutz laid down a bunt that would score both of the runners and land herself at second to give NorCal a 10-0 lead.
A hard single from Julia Rodriguez-Vela put runners on the corners with Clark back at the plate. She delivered a triple to centerfield, sending the final two runners home for Gilroy.
Clark  and Del Real both went a perfect 3 for 3 in the game. Clark had two runs, drove in two RBIs and walked once. Del Real drove in three RBIs and had two runs in her plate appearances.
Madeline Cox went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Cox had an RBI double in the first inning that helped kicked things off for Gilroy.
Sandoval was stellar on both sides of the ball. She went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored and pitched three solid innings, striking out three and allowing only two hits.
Briannalee Moreno got the win for Gilroy, putting in two scoreless innings of work.
Gilroy will square off against Montana at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
