The Gilroy Mustangs upset the top-seeded Mitty Monarchs 6-3 in the Central Coast Section quarterfinals with three clutch runs in the ninth inning.
The Mustangs (17-12) advance to face Los Altos in the semifinals, while the Monarchs end their season with a with a 27-1 record.
“I’m so proud of our entire team. We played absolutely amazing. We stuck it out, and we battled hard,” said Gilroy coach Julie Berggren. “We’ve had so much fun playing together, and this game proved it. It feels absolutely amazing, especially beating a team like Mitty.”
Although the Mustangs were down 3-2 in the seventh inning, Gilroy senior shortstop Kaylana Mah found a hole in the Mitty defense for a triple. Senior Celeste Mendoza followed with a single and a run batted in to tie the game.
Following a scoreless eighth inning, the Mustangs pulled ahead in the ninth inning with four hits and three runs. After Mah hit a single and then stole second, sophomore pitcher Lauren Castro hit a double. Ma tired to score and bumped into Mitty shortstop Jazmyn Jackson. The umpire ruled interference on Jackson and credited Gilroy with a run.
“I saw [Mah] bump into their player, so when she got to third base, I told her to run home,” said Berggren. “I knew if she got called out at home, she would at least go back to third safely, because of the obstruction. So we took the gamble, I sent her, and we took them off guard.”
Of course, the Mitty coaching staff saw the call differently.
“I wasn’t on the field, but according to my assistant coaches, it was definitely a tough call,” said Mitty coach Brian Yocke.
Momentum was not on Gilroy's side and consecutive doubles by senior Amber Gamboa and junior Holly Lam brought in two more runs.
“The last inning was tough,” Yocke said. "I think we played hard, but they just managed to pull ahead.”
In the bottom of the ninth Mitty got a single from senior Ashley Chestnut, but she never advanced past first base.
"Once we came back in the dugout, we were on defense. Having a multiple-run lead was very important going into the bottom of that inning,” Berggren said. “I felt the pressure wasn’t quite there. Having a couple runs to play with was important with the caliber of team that Mitty is.”
Earlier in the game, Mitty’s Cal-bound Jackson took control of the field and the game, scoring all three runs. In the first inning she scored after walking and then stealing second when the Monarchs followed with two singles. In the third inning Jackson hit a drive to left field that eluded the Gilroy player for a four-base error and another Mitty run. Finally, in the fifth inning, Jackson hit a triple and was eventually driven in by senior Kiersten Nordin.
“Jazmyn played great,” Yocke said. “She always plays great, but I think the whole team played with all their hearts today.”
Pitching was also critical throughout the entire game, as both teams had a sophomore who pitched the entire game. Mitty’s Desiree Severance struck out eight players, while Gilroy’s Lauren Castro struck out four and walked four.
Gilroy, with the motivation of beating top-seeded Mitty, seems ready to face Los Altos at 4:30 Wednesday at PAL Stadium in San Jose in the semifinals.
“We’re ready,” Berggren said. “We have Los Altos next, we’ll take care of them, and we’ll move on from there.”
