Gilroy
– There was nothing lucky Monday about the number seven for
Gilroy until the seventh inning. By then, it was too late.
Gilroy – There was nothing lucky Monday about the number seven for Gilroy until the seventh inning.
By then, it was too late.
Even a five-run outburst and Tyler Osborne’s home run couldn’t rescue the Mustangs as Fremont-Sunnyvale gained an 11-6 win in the opening round of the Peninsula Easter Classic.
The round-robin tournament continues at 3pm today when host GHS sends James Lafuente to the mound to face Pacific Grove.
A seven-run first by the Firebirds (who won their seventh game) had Gilroy playing from far behind before it ever got to bat. And the deficit made a seventh straight win by the Mustangs (13-9) out of reach.
“I think some of the guys were still on Easter break,” GHS coach Clint Wheeler said. “Mentally, they were not ready to play. They were still thinking about the championship game (Friday in the Monta Vista/Cupertino Host Lions Tournament).”
What’s worse, all seven runs scored by Fremont (7-9) were unearned. After a groundout to open the game, Mike Appio lofted a fly ball to centerfield that was dropped.
The next batter grounded out to first base. After winning pitcher Rob Ramer singled in a run, a ball was dropped in left field.
And then the wheels really came off for the Mustangs. Three walks, a hit batsman and Appio’s two-run single led to a 7-0 lead for the Firebirds.
“It was fortunate for us,” Fremont coach Mike Smith said. “They helped us out with a couple of dropped balls. It was good to put up seven. Gilroy is a good baseball team with a potent lineup.”
Ramer was in control for six innings. A Danny Contreras triple and Michael Stevens sacrifice fly led to the Mustangs’ first run in the fifth.
“Ramer hit his spots,” Smith said. “His changeup was working really well.”
Matching Ramer was reliever Chris Salter, who threw 5 1/3 innings of scoreless ball before being relieved in the seventh.
“He was great,” Wheeler said of Salter, who also collected two hits.
And then the number seven was unlucky again as the Firebirds scored four times in the top of the inning with Kenny Pope’s bases-clearing triple the big blow.
Gilroy battled back against reliever Kevin McEvoy for five runs in the bottom of the inning. Stevens and Matt Hemeon stroked back-to-back one-out doubles for the first run. Kevin Grove walked and Jacob Dexter drove in the second run with an infield single off the glove of the shortstop. The hot-hitting Osborne then delivered by hitting the first pitch over the left-field wall. It was Osborne’s team-leading fifth home run and his ninth hit in his last 15 at-bats.
“It’s frustrating that we didn’t show up ready to play,” Wheeler said. “We had our chances earlier in the game and couldn’t come through with the clutch hit. Their pitcher kept going away from us and we didn’t make adjustments. He made us hit his pitches.”
And Gilroy didn’t find a lucky seven until it was too late.
Fremont 700 000 4 – 11 9 0
Gilroy 000 010 5 – 6 11 4
Ramer, McEvoy (7) and Lopez; Osborne, Salter (1), Martinez (7) and Fortino. W-Ramer. L-Osborne. 2B-GIL, Contreras, Salter, Stevens, Hemeon. 3B-FRE, Pope; GIL, Contreras. HR-GIL, Osborne.
