This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

SOFTBALL: Gilroy Falls to San Benito CCS Finals

Steigelman's double in seventh lifts Balers to sixth CCS title.

The Score: San Benito 3, Gilroy 2

Coming into Saturday’s game against perennial softball power San Benito High, the Gilroy High School softball team came in looking to turn the tide against it’s long time rival.

The reward would be more than just a victory—a Central Coast Section Division I title would come as well.

Find out what's happening in Gilroywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

All even heading into the bottom of the seventh, San Benito continued it’s decade of excellence in dramatic fashion.

With two outs and the scored tied up at two, San Benito (29-1) senior Jessica Steigelman stepped into the batter box and came through with the biggest hit of her career.

Find out what's happening in Gilroywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The game winning hit boomed into the deep real estate of the park and bounced over the fence for a ground rule double, giving San Benito a walk-off 3-2 victory over Gilroy in the CCS D-I softball championship game Saturday afternoon at PAL Field in San Jose.

“I just went up there thinking, ‘What the heck. I’ve struck out twice and got out so there is nothing worse I could do,’” San Benito’s Steigelman said. “I was so relaxed and so focused on the ball, it looked like it was twice its size.”

San Benito’s sophomore Taylor Fabing opened the seventh with a base hit followed by a pitch hit from sophomore Samantha Puentes.  That gave San Benito two runners on with only one out.  A well-placed bunt moved the runners into scoring position and a walk loaded the bases.

“I am sad, but not disappointed. We played hard and it has been a really fun season,” Gilroy head coach Julie Berggren said. “This is where we wanted to be, but I wish the outcome would have been different. I thought we had them there. She (Steigelman) had not hit the ball all day, but she got a hold of one.”

Gilroy jumped out to an early lead when senior Stephanie Rodriguez scored on a hit from senior Sarah Lorraine Lira.  San Benito later answered Gilroy’s one run to tie the score at one and added more tally in the second to take a 2-1 advantage.

Gilroy freshman Holly Lam hit the best shot of her young varsity life to pull the Mustangs back even with the top-seeded Balers.  Lam hit a triple to right center field to get things going.

“I just went up there just thinking base hit because I knew if I made it on someone was going to hit me in,” Lam said.

Gilroy (25-5) tied the game one at-bat later as Lam scored on senior Elaina Velasquez’s base hit.  .

This lost to San Benito was Gilroy’s third this season. 

“I am really proud of the way the team came back, Berggren said. “That’s the way it has been all season. These players generally love each other and play hard for each other.”

—————————

Gilroy              1          0          0          0          1          0          0          -           2

San Benito    1          1          0          0          0          0          1          -           3

WP: Miguel

LP: Lira

 

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?