GHS softball squad splits to start Watsonville Tournament,
advances to championship rounds next Saturday
WATSONVILLE – The Gilroy High softball team ended its four-game losing streak over the weekend in the Watsonville Tournament – opening with a 4-1 victory over Westmont before falling 3-0 to Carlmont in Saturday’s pool play.
“We had a good weekend,” said second-year skipper Julie Berggren, whose squad qualified for championship round action with an April 26 first-round game against Live Oak at 11:30 a.m.
The Lady Mustangs were backed by senior ace Jennifer Olvera’s seven-strikeout, complete-game outing in the win over Westmont.
Olvera also got the Gilroy bats going early with a lead-off triple – which she scored on after the Westmont centerfielder missed her cut-off person.
“It definitely was a little bit of a sigh of relief,” said Berggren of Olvera’s triple-bagger to start the game.
Following senior third baseman Cherise Martinez’s fourth-inning walk, senior teammate Jenna Daugherty doubled her home for the second Gilroy run. The other two runs – coming in the fifth and sixth frames – were the result of Westmont errors.
“It was a great way to finish our losing streak,” said Berggren, whose Lady Mustangs managed five hits. “It was nice to see our big hitters finally get big hits, some big hits to score some runs.”
Later on Saturday, the Lady Mustangs went up against Carlmont – a team that beat them by double-digits in their last encouter – and hung tough.
“I wished we coulda scored against Carlmont, but it was nice to keep the score down and shut down their big hitters,” Berggren said. “Last time, their big hitter killed us.”
The game was called after six innings due to darkness.
Junior catcher Bria DeLorenzo tripled with one out in the first inning, but did not come around to score. Sophomore Christina Hernandez cracked the starting line-up and went 2-for-2 with a triple.
Carlmont scored two runs in first inning and then one run in fifth frame to come out on top.
Gilroy will travel to North Salinas on Thursday for a rematch against the frontrunner Lady Vikings at 3:45 p.m. Last time at Gilroy High, North Salinas edged the locals, 1-0.
“I think we’re going to do well. If play like we did last weekend and the way we played against them last time, we should have a great game against them,” Berggren said. “It should be a good game.”
