The Gilroy Majors Softball All Stars are the Northern California Little League State Champions.
The 11-13-year-old team is headed to San Bernardino, where it will represent Northern California in the 2013 Little League Western Regional tournament. Regionals kick off Friday and run until July 26.
Gilroy will take on opponents from Southern California, Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Hawaii.
The Garlic City All Stars’ road to the Western Regionals wound through San Jose, Pinole and Chico. The team did not lose a single game and outscored its opponents by an average of 10 – 1; until they met the Peach Bowl Little League Major All Stars in the first round of the Northern California Championship Tournament last weekend. Coach Norma Castro’s crew lost to Peach Bowl 11-6 in the opening round and then defeated them 5-4 in a comeback victory that propelled them to San Bernardino.
“We really didn’t face strong competition until we lost to Peach Bowl in the first round at Chico. It was our first loss; well, technically our second, but it was the first time this team had been beaten on the field,” Castro said referring a forfeit in Pinole due to an ineligible player. “These girls were scoring a lot of runs and playing outstanding defense. Our loss to Peach Bowl was disappointing. We didn’t play the type of defense we usually play and we didn’t hit well. That’s not a winning combination.”
In Chico last weekend, Gilroy defeated East County 15-0 and Red Bluff 7-1 to set up the Nor-Cal Championship game against undefeated Peach Bowl (Yuba City) on Monday.
Peach Bowl, having lost the coin flip, batted in the top of the first inning. A lead off hit and a subsequent single led to the first run of the game. Gilroy’s defense shut down the rests of the batters, but failed to score in the bottom of the first.
Gilroy’s defense put up a zero in the top of the second and came out in bottom of the inning swinging away. With one out, Vanessa Zozaya hit a sharp ground ball to left field. She advanced to second on an overthrow by the left fielder. Mia Garnica followed up with a ground ball past second base. Zozaya scored on an overthrow by the right fielder that sent Garnica to third base. With two outs, Isabela Delgado ripped a ball that caromed off the first baseman and scored Garnica for a 2-1 lead.
After a scoreless third inning, Peach Bowl took a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning. Both teams were unable to score until the bottom of the sixth. It was then the Peach Bowl fans — who had a short drive from Yuba City — made their presence known.
“It looked like the whole town was there,” said parent Claudia Perez. “It was the bottom of maybe our last inning. Our parents were quiet and the Peach Bowl fans were really loud — they thought they had it. We were holding our breath.”
Gilroy’s third batter in the lineup, pitcher Brianna Budelli, led off the inning with a shot to the second baseman’s back hand. Budelli’s speed got her to first base just ahead of the throw. The next batter hit a fly ball that was easily handled by the right fielder. With one out, slugger Christina Chavez hit a frozen rope over the pitcher’s head into centerfield for a base hit. Budelli read the ball well and made it to third base. That brought the winning run to the plate in the form of Zozaya. Zozaya took a strike to allow Chavez to steal second base. After a swing and a miss, Zozaya contributed her second hit of the day — a line drive up the middle that scored Budelli and Chavez to tie the game.
Catcher Garnica reached first base when the short stop couldn’t handle a spinning ground ball. With runners at first and second base, Savanah Castro battled the Peach Bowl pitcher for a full count and five foul balls. During her at-bat the runners were able to advance and Castro managed to get to first on a dropped third strike. With bases loaded, left fielder Delgado hit a line drive into the right field gap that drove in the winning run.
“The Peach Bowl fans were stunned. Their side went from super loud to nothing but crickets,” said coach Jon Castro. “Our fans, on the other hand, were going nuts. We all were. It was incredible. “
Coach Joe Budelli added, “I looked over at our parents and they were all standing at the fence clapping, cheering, hugging, screaming. Our girls were mobbing Delgado. They picked her up and started carrying her. She kept telling them they only had one out. She didn’t know she had just knocked in the game winning run.”
The All Stars departed for San Bernardino Wednesday morning in order to settle in before play kicks off Friday.
“The girls are having a great time,” coach Norma Castro said. “They are meeting girls from all over the Western United States. They are decorating their rooms and they are taking pictures and collecting phone numbers. We have been welcomed like long lost friends and treated like royalty.”
Gilroy — listed as Northern California — kicks off tournament play on Friday. Here is their schedule for Regionals:
July 19 vs. Utah at 8:30 a.m.
July 20 vs. Arizona at 11 a.m.
July 22 vs. Southern California at 7:30 p.m.
July 23 vs. Nevada at 5 p.m.
The top four records in Pool Play will advance to a single elimination Semi-Final round on July 25 with the two winners advancing to the Championship game on July 26.
The Western Regional Champion will then represent the West in the Softball Little League World Series in Portland, Ore. beginning from August 6 through August 16.
