Lady Rams stuck on 19 wins after loss to San Jose City
Gilroy – It’s always that milestone number that’s the hardest to overcome. For the Gavilan softball team right now, it’s win No. 20.
The Rams had a chance to become just the fifth Gavilan softball team to have a 20–win season Thursday against San Jose City College, but couldn’t muster the offense they needed to beat the second–place Coast Conference South team in a 4-0 at home.
The Rams dropped to 19-16 overall and are in third place at 10-11 in league play.
“(San Jose City pitcher) Jackie Jacob had a whale of a game,” said Gavilan head coach Tim Kenworthy. “She had 10 K’s against us and had our number again.”
Jacob, who allowed just two Gavilan hits Thursday, was a key reason for an earlier pair of losses to the Jaguars this season.
SJCC (21-11-1/14-6), which trails undefeated West Valley in league, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning off a Gavilan error in the outfield, but the Rams looked like they would counter in their half of the inning.
Gavilan sophomore shortstop and second baseman Kristine Miles led off with a hard-hit line drive triple to right field.
“(Kristine) has been one of the team leaders for the past two year,” said Kenworthy of Miles, who plans to try out for the San Jose State team next year.
“She’s had a great career.”
With one out, catcher Justine McDonald reached on a bunt when SJCC’s first baseman was pulled off the bag by a bad throw. Gavilan designated hitter Amanda Jackson was then hit by a Jacob pitch, which loaded the bases for the Rams.
“That was the key part of the game,” Kenworthy said. “We had a runner on third and nobody out.”
But the best scoring opportunity Gavilan had all game went for naught as Jacob struck out Erinn Gouker and Katrina Villa to retire the inning.
In the top of the fifth, SJCC’s Charisse Pineda and Marina Mendez both singled off Gavilan starting pitcher Courtney Colianna. They eventually moved to second and third and scored on two Gavilan errors to build a 3-0 lead. Kassidy Rotter then drove in another run to make it 4-0 before Gavilan second baseman Kristina Pena completed a double–play by tagging Rotter, who was on her way to second, and putting out Karen Purdy at first to end the inning.
Destinee Powers, who came in to pitch for Colianna in the sixth, held the Jags scoreless, but the Gavilan offense never got going again.
Gavilan particularly missed the offensive power of freshman center fielder Katie Arao (.320 batting average, .520 on–base percentage), who has been out since she pulled a hamstring against Hartnell last week.
“She’d been having what she calls the best year of her life in hitting,” Kenworthy said.
The Rams have two games left to get 20 wins, including one against Monterey Peninsula College, whom they beat earlier in the season.
“This is one of the top five teams we’ve ever had, record–wise,” Kenworthy said. “I think this is the climax of the growth of this program.”
In all likelihood, Kenworthy coached his last home game for Gavilan on Thursday. He was not offered tenure at the college and will not be returning to coach next season.
