It was a close call for the girls from Gilroy.
The team experienced its narrowest victory in the Junior Softball Western Regional tournament thus far — but where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Gilroy and Alaska exchanged the lead five times in the game, but ultimately it was Gilroy who came out on top. A late run helped the Northern California state champs to a 6-5 decision over Alaska in eight innings Wednesday in Tucson, Ariz.
Gilroy and Alaska were locked in a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the eighth with a trip to the finals on the line. With the bases loaded, Briannalee Moreno singled to second base pushing the winning run across the plate for Gilroy.
Moreno went 1 for 3 with a RBI and a walk. She also picked up the win in the circle for Gilroy, pitching four innings and giving up a run, a hit and five walks while striking out five.
Alaska jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Gilroy answered back with four runs of its own to take a 4-2 lead. Alaska scored a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh, putting the team ahead 5-4.
Alaska’s lead would be short lived however. Nikki Villanueva hit a triple for Gilroy, making it easy for her to score off of Cynthia Del Real’s double to centerfield which tied the game at 5-5.
Villanueva led Gilroy, going 2 for 4 with two runs, a triple, a stolen base and a RBI. Del Real went 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs.
The win over Alaska sends Gilroy to the Western Regional finals today. They play Montana twice — at 5:30 and 7 p.m. — and both games are must win. Success here means Gilroy would represent the West at the Junior Softball World Series in Kirkland Wash. which kicks off Sunday.
