Having already reached the plateau of 11-year-old softball
All-Stars competition, one win separated Gilroy Little League from
the pinnacle.
Having already reached the plateau of 11-year-old softball All-Stars competition, one win separated Gilroy Little League from the pinnacle.
In keeping form with their previous two games, the locals eclipsed the 20-run mark once again and convincingly finalized a Northern California Division II championship 23-6 over East County Little League on Monday night in Antioch.
Though the road ends for 11-year-old teams after the Northern California tournament, there’s no better place for Gilroy’s All-Stars to finish a postseason than on top.
“I loved to be on this team,” Bryannalee Moreno said. “I learned new things and also always tried my best in everything. I hope to be on a team like this again and forever.”
Gilroy held a modest 5-0 lead through three innings before putting the pedal to the floor in the top of the fourth, plating 10 runs. East County avoided a 10-run-rule shortened exit with a six-spot of its own in the fourth.
However, Gilroy backed up the fourth with eight more tallies the following frame and kept East County off the board in the bottom of the fifth to complete the deal.
“This was my very first time on a softball All-Star team, and yet, I had so much fun,” Camryn Crowley said. “I was nervous at first, but I got over it.”
There were no nerves left once the team entered the final and Crowley led the way with a team-high three hits in the contest. Brittney Gitmed made the most of her two hits, both triples, and Olivia Moore, Rachel Vanni, Moe Janisch and Amber Herrera (one triple) also contributed a pair of hits to the team’s 14 in the game.
“I love being on a team with good sportsmanship,” Gitmed said.
Janisch allowed four hits and struck out six in her five innings in the circle.
The hitting and scoring came at an alarming rate during the All-Stars’ three-game stay at the Division II tournament. En route to outscoring opponents 71-16 in that span, Gilroy accumulated a .578 team batting average and a .683 on-base percentage.
“We all worked great together and all pick up each other when someone was down,” Emily Boykin said. “I really had fun playing and working hard with everyone on the team, plus the coaches.”
The 11-year-old All-Stars were managed by Scot Hathaway with coaches Rick Janisch and Daniel Herrera.
