The Gilroy High softball team is one win away from advancing to
the Central Coast Section championships. But they have a major
roadblock in the way.
Gilroy – The Gilroy High softball team is one win away from advancing to the Central Coast Section championships. But they have a major roadblock in the way.
If the Mustangs are to return to the title game for just their second time, they will have to find a way to get by their Tri-County Athletic League rival San Benito, the league champion, in the semifinals tonight. Game time is 7pm at PAL Stadium in San Jose.
The last time Gilroy was in the finals was in 1999, when it beat Piedmont Hills 2-1 to capture its only title in school history.
“We know what to expect, but we are trying to go into the game not expecting anything,” said Gilroy coach Catherine Hallada on the teams third meeting this year. “I definitely think it is our time to beat Hollister. We’re going to come out and try to get base runners on in the first and score early.”
The winner plays Saturday at PAL Stadium at 4:30pm against winner of the other semifinal between Carlmont and Watsonville, who play the game before the Mustangs.
Hallada said she tried to keep her team loose by starting the week with a light day of practice Monday that included playing some fun games.
“We’ve had three days of good practice,” she said. “I am just trying to keep them relaxed. If they think too much about who they are playing they can psyche themselves out. They feel they are due to beat them, and I do too.”
The Mustangs may have a little momentum on their side after defeating Piedmont Hills 3-1 in the opening round and then defeating Lynbrook 5-1 on Saturday in the quarterfinals. San Benito is coming off a 2-1 win over Monta Vista in the quarterfinals.
“You always get a little confident when you have had some wins,” Hallada said. “You get a little steam behind you. We’re just going to come out, have fun and play our game.”
Gilroy has lost the last four meetings to San Benito, including a 7-0 defeat in quarterfinals last season. The teams split in the 2006 regular season with Gilroy winning 2-0 on March 21 in the TCAL opener. In that game, the Mustangs scored twice in the first inning off Marisa Ibarra. Sarah Villar pitched a one-hitter for Gilroy for the win. Amanda Tellez had an RBI single in the first inning. JC Clayton collected the lone hit for the ‘Balers.
This year, the Mustangs lost 7-0 in the first meeting – their second-most lopsided loss of the year – then kept it a lot closer in the second game, losing 4-2. San Benito’s Elena Fata, the league MVP, had a grand slam in the first game.
“That first game was kind of a weird game,” Hallada said. “It was early in the season, and it just didn’t feel right. But the second game we showed more what type of team this is. It was a game we could have won. We had baserunners on in the seventh, but they made a great play.”
