Gilroy
– The bats are getting more potent. The hits are getting more
timely. And Gilroy is finding a way to win even when it is not at
its best.
Gilroy – The bats are getting more potent. The hits are getting more timely.
And Gilroy is finding a way to win even when it is not at its best.
That was the case Thursday as the Mustangs shook off a slow start to defeat Alvarez 10-6 in a Tri-County Athletic League contest.
As a result, Gilroy (18-10 overall, 5-2 TCAL) moved into a four-way tie for first when Palma edged San Benito 12-11. With Salinas’ 13-3 win over North Salinas, that leaves the Mustangs, Chieftains, Haybalers and Cowboys all tied at the top.
Kevin Grove struggled in the first inning but quickly settled down. Matt Hemeon continued his hot hitting. Grove, Lukas Fortino and Tyler Osborne all delivered multiple RBIs.
“I feel like we’re beginning to break out,” said Hemeon, who was 3-for-3 with a walk. “We started slow but once we got a couple of hits we seemed to come around. We have a lot of guys swinging the bat well.”
Gilroy dug an early hole, falling behind 2-0 before it came to bat. Singles by Matt Blackwell and Antonio Mendoza, and a hit batter loaded the bases with none out. A fielder’s choice grounder by Manuel Montanez and a wild pitch put the Eagles in front.
But the Mustangs came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the first. Michael Stevens and Hemeon set the table with singles. Grove delivered a sacrifice fly, and reached when the rightfielder dropped his fly ball.
Osborne, who has gotten so many key hits lately, lashed a two-run single. Fortino followed with a two-run homer that easily cleared the left-field fence. Suddenly, it was 5-2 after the first inning.
“It was a fast ball,” Fortino said of his hit. “The team’s very confident in hitting, that we can come back in any situation. We believe in each other. And we knew we couldn’t afford another loss after Tuesday (7-2 defeat to Alisal).”
Gilroy got two more in the second with Stevens and Hemeon again getting singles. Each stole a base prior to Grove’s two-run double.
Hemeon’s RBI single delivered a run in the fourth, and Fortino’s RBI double and Roberto Celestino’s RBI infield single added two more in the fifth. And then, it was just a matter of the relievers throwing enough strikes to avoid trouble and allowing the Eagles to run themselves out of the last two innings.
A third-to-first-to-third double play ended the sixth, and a fly ball that Grove caught in rightfield and fired to third to catch a running trying to advance ended the game.
“We know exactly where we are, what we are capable of,” GHS coach Clint Wheeler said. “We didn’t panic (when we fell behind), and we did a good job. Grove was efficient. He did what we needed giving us five innings.”
The Mustangs will have Jacob Dexter on the mound Wednesday when they visit Palma.
Alvarez 200 021 1 – 5 11 2
Gilroy 520 120 x – 10 10 1
Montanez, Mendoza (2), Valenzuela (6) and Blackwell; Grove, Osborne (6), Stevens (7) and Fortino. 2B-ALV, Ramirez; GIL, Grove 2, Fortino. HR-GIL, Fortino.
