There isn’t much middle ground when it comes to this year’s
edition of Gilroy High baseball.
There isn’t much middle ground when it comes to this year’s edition of Gilroy High baseball.
The Mustangs continued their climb back to a .500 record Saturday by beating North Salinas 4-3. It was the third victory in a row for Gilroy after dropping nine-straight games entering last week. The recent resurgence seems to suggest that the difference between winning and losing for Gilroy can sometimes be small, but the effect either result can have on the club is immense.
“Yeah, I think (we’ve matured),” Gilroy coach Clint Wheeler said. “You can see it at the plate, defensively, on the mound; they’ve grown up a lot.”
While young, Wheeler believes his players are starting to gain a sense of what it takes to win at the varsity level.
“I think that it’s part of the growing process. When you’re a young team those close games usually don’t go your way because you don’t know how to put them away,” he said. “Hopefully down the stretch we can start putting these games away.”
A large part of why Saturday went so well for Gilroy was due to starting pitcher Kevin Grove (five innings, 67 pitches and only two earned runs) getting the win and Jordan Holler providing two shutout innings of relief for the save. The Mustangs also got solid production at the plate from Danny Contreras (2-for-3, two runs, 2 stolen bases), Charlie Duffy (1-for-2, RBI double). Roberto Celestino (2-for-2, RBI) and Taylor Chris (1-for-3, RBI double).
Grove also scored a run to help his cause after walking and stealing a base. After struggling with a sore shoulder to start the season, his ability to eat up innings on the mound, along with a lineup that is starting to hit more consistently, could be key to any success Gilroy (10-14 overall, 8-5 TCAL) has in its last five games, as well as possibly the upcoming Central Coast Section playoffs, which aren’t a sure bet quite yet.
“I don’t think one more win would get us in,” Wheeler said. “We need at least two more wins, maybe three to get us in … But the way we’re playing, and the potential we have, we could run the table.”
Gilroy plays at Alvarez today at 4 p.m. before returning home for a game against Salinas at the same time on Thursday.
TCAL Leaders
Player, school Hits AB Avg.
Dotseth, Palma 15 30 .500
Countryman, NS 16 35 .457
Caraccioli, Palma 16 36 .444
Ohmann, Palma 14 31 .451
Zozaya, SB 17 38 .447
Fhurong, SB 14 32 .437
Wright, Sal. 12 28 .429
Pacheco, Sal. 14 33 .424
Hernandez, Sal. 12 30 .400
Duffy, Gilroy 13 33 .393
Vega, Palma 15 39 .384
Silva, NS 10 26 .384
Lauritzen, Palma 14 38 .368
Santana, NS 12 33 .363
Grant, Alisal 14 39 .358
Terrill, Palma 13 36 .361
Grant, Alisal 14 39 .358
Canez, SB 13 37 .351
Bergin, Sal. 11 32 .344
Haggett, SB 12 35 .342
Chris, Gilroy 15 44 .340
S.-Lopez. Ali. 13 39 .333
Aldrete, Sal. 10 30 .333
Cabral, SB 8 25 .320
Papurello, NS 9 29 .310
Organista, NS 8 26 .308
Jensen, Sal. 8 26 .308
Ramirez, Alisal 11 37 .297
Blueford, Sal. 7 24 .292
Grove, Gilroy 9 33 .272
Celestino, Gilroy 10 37 .270
RBI: Duffy (Gilroy) 13, Vega (Palma) 12, Bergin (Sal.) 12, Ramirez (Alisal) 12, Ohmann (Palma) 11, Aldrete (Sal.) 11, Hernandez (Sal.) 11, Canez (SB) 11, Grove (Gilroy) 11, Fhurong (SB) 10, Zozaya (SB) 10, Celestino (Gilroy) 10. Doubles: Hernandez (Sal.) 6, Haggett (SB) 5, Fhurong (SB) 5, Vega (Palma) 4, Brann (SB) 4, Canez (SB) 4, Zozaya (SB) 4, Terrill (Palma) 4. Triples: Ohman (Palma) 3, Fortino (Gilroy) 1, Grove (Gilroy) 1, Duffy (Gilroy) 1. Home runs: Haggett (SB) 2, Vega (Palma) 1, Scott (SB) 1, Bergin (Sal.) 1, Wright (Sal.) 1, Blueford (Sal.) 1, Jensen (Sal.) 1, Canez (SB) 1, Papurello (N. Sal.) 1, Suarez-Lopez (Alisal) 1, Ohmann (Palma) 1, Terrill (Palma) 1, Fortino (Gilroy) 1, Duffy (Glroy) 1, Canez (SB) 1.Pitchers
Pitchers IP H W K ER ERA
Gillies, SB(3-0) 15.1 5 6 18 1 0.46
Morris, Pal(6-0) 25.2 5 12 34 2 0.55
Aldrete, Sal(0-0) 7 5 1 9 1 1.00
Canez, SB(4-1) 27 27 7 17 6 1.55
Eichorn, SB(2-0) 17 11 6 26 4 1.64
Chris, Gil(2-2) 29 18 17 34 7 1.68
Carma, Sal(3-2) 28 24 6 41 10 2.50
Cabral, SB(1-0) 8.1 8 2 4 3 2.59
Chacon, Ali.(1-2) 18 23 7 1 8 3.05
Caroccili, Pal(2-2) 21 19 3 13 11 3.67
Ramirez, Ali(0-0) 19 18 16 8 10 3.68
Sanchez, SB(3-0) 20 29 5 21 11 3.85
Lafuente, Gil(2-3) 21.1 27 10 14 12 3.98
