Tina Chavez connects with the ball for Gilroy during the teams matchup against Southern California (Grenada Hills) during the Little League Softball Western Regionals Monday in San Bernardino.
Cinderella will not be going to the Royal Ball; Drizella and Anastasia Tremaine will attend in her stead. For fans of the Gilroy Little League All-stars, that’s the way this story goes.
Gilroy, North California’s State Champion lost to Granada Hills, South California’s State Champion by a score of 5-2 on a balmy night under a full moon in the San Bernardino Valley. The stepsisters from SoCal did not overpower the Gilroy Girls; they notched but one more hit. Both squads committed one error apiece. The true tale lies in the earned runs: 3-1 in favor of the home team Granada Hills.
Gilroy allowed one run in the first, one in the second, two in the third, and one in the fourth. Granada Hills limited Gilroy to one run in the second and one in the fourth. SoCal pitcher Ashley Murphy pitched a complete game, struck out six and issued one walk.
Abby Clark started the game in the circle for Gilroy, went three innings, allowed two earned runs and walked two while striking out one. Brianna Budelli came on in relief, pitched two innings, allowed one earned run and walked one while striking out two.
The SoCal champs got the scoring going early, plating their leadoff in the bottom of the first inning in classic softball fashion: base hit, a steal of second and a sacrifice bunt to move her to third — a sharp ground ball that Isabelle Reynolds turned into an out scored the first run of the game.
Gilroy’s run in the second inning was owed to the first of Christina Chavez’s two base hits. Alyssa Olivares ran for Chavez and managed to steal second with two outs. With Sarah Starks at bat, Olivares took third base on a wild pitch and ultimately scored on a sharply hit Starks ground ball that was misplayed by the second baseman. That unearned run tied up the ball game, but the Grenada Hills took the lead again with one run in the bottom of the second inning.
Clark singled crisply over the second baseman in the top of the third but was left stranded. The bottom of the third saw Grenada Hills plate two unearned runs to take a 4-1 lead. On a positive note for the Garlic City team, Sarah Starks made a spectacular shoe top catch of a “dying quail” in centerfield.
Gilroy threatened in their half of the fourth inning when Isabella Delgado ran her consecutive game hitting streak to four with a loud ground ball up the middle. The speedy right fielder stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With one out, Chavez promptly stroked a laser past a startled second baseman for an RBI. Chavez accounted for both runs by scoring one and knocking one in. Unfortunately for the visiting team, that would be all they could muster in this game.
A lead off base on balls in the bottom of the fourth scored the fifth and final run of the game. Reynolds snagged a screaming line drive to end the inning and add to her game leading five put-outs that included receiving a perfect throw from Mia Garnica to nail a would-be base stealer in the fifth inning.
The loss eliminated Gilroy from any possibility of moving on to the World Series in Portland, Ore.
“This is a young team. They will be back next year,” Gilroy manager Norma Castro said. “We have only two girls who will move up to the next level next year.”
Tomorrow marks the final game in pool play for Castro’s All Stars.
“We plan on finishing strong,” Castro said. “We have never been out of any of our ball games and we expect to represent Gilroy and North California well in our final game of the tournament.” Gilroy LL (NoCal)
