Gilroy Little League’s Girls Majors All-Stars toppled the
defending champion Red Bluff All-Stars 4-1 in seven innings Sunday,
putting the local squad at 3-0 in the double-elimination Northern
California Division II Championships being played in American
Canyon.
The 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars from Gilroy will play in the
championship game tonight at 5:30 p.m. A Gilroy victory would
result in a trip to the Western Regionals, while a loss
AMERICAN CANYON – Gilroy Little League’s Girls Majors All-Stars toppled the defending champion Red Bluff All-Stars 4-1 in seven innings Sunday, putting the local squad at 3-0 in the double-elimination Northern California Division II Championships being played in American Canyon.
The 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars from Gilroy will play in the championship game tonight at 5:30 p.m. A Gilroy victory would result in a trip to the Western Regionals, while a loss would force a second title game to be played at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Gilroy scratched out a run early against Red Bluff by Dejah Raoof being plated in the top of the first, but the game was close the whole way through. Neither team scored again until the bottom of the sixth. Gilroy received great defensive plays by Brittney Souza in right field and a web gem by third baseman Karli Martinez, who made a diving catch.
The bottom of the sixth saw Red Bluff mount a comeback with runners on first and second, when a potential tying run tried to score on a single to center, only to be thrown out by Raoof. Red Bluff tied the game on the next play but the draw was short-lived.
Gilroy settled down quickly by getting the final out, sending the game into an extra seventh inning.
Brittney Souza and Karli Martinez beat out throws for infield singles to start the seventh, and MacKenzie Mitchell ripped a double to right-center field to score Souza, the go-ahead run. A Holly Lam single plated two more runs.
Lam refused to let Red Bluff back in the game by retiring the side.
“We really showed lots of character today,” Gilroy manager Al Orosco said. “Holly pitched great again and the throw by Dejah was awesome, a perfect throw.”
Gilroy defeated the Morada All-Stars on Saturday by a score of 10-2 in a second-round contest. After giving up two runs in the top of the first inning, Gilroy’s All-Stars responded by scoring nine runs in the bottom of the frame to take a commanding lead.
Lauren Castro settled down to pitch a perfect second inning, while Lam and Nicole Green combined to shut down Morada the rest of the game. Mitchell had a strong effort behind the plate and Green had the only two hits for Gilroy.
“We jumped on them early and our pitching and defense never let them in the game,” Orosco said.
After winning its first game of divisional play 11-1 over Auburn, Gilroy has outscored its three opponents 25 to 4. Strong pitching and defense has been key all along.
Lam needed just 17 pitches to get through her two innings of work, Castro gave up just one run in two innings and Nicole Green pitched a scoreless fifth frame. Second baseman Elisa Perales swallowed up four possible hits, turning all of them into outs. The defensive play of the game was Green’s diving stop and throw to get the final out in the fifth.
Castro led offensively with three hits and three RBI, Raoff added two RBI of her own, and Mitchell, Lam, Sam Delatorre and Alli Hathaway each contributed one RBI.
“The girls did an excellent job of staying focused and made some great defensive plays,” Orsoco said. “I’m very pleased with how we are playing.”
