A rigid focus, bred from years of experience in club and high school softball, lies within the Sobrato Bulldogs.
It can be difficult to spot during games, when their dugout is filled with giggles and cheers at tense moments, or when an SHS player, say Sam Ribeiro, trips over third base, laughs it off, then scores a crucial run in the biggest game of the season.
“If you let things go to your head, you’re not going to get anywhere,” Ribeiro says.
Sobrato’s mental strength and collective talent were in full effect through a tight and turbulent showdown at Evergreen Valley on Wednesday.
With first place in the Santa Teresa Division at stake, the Bulldogs squandered a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning and nearly blew a three-run advantage in the seventh. But Marissa Heffernan made a leaping catch with two on for the final out, and Kallie Klinger’s two-run homer in the seventh held up for an 8-7 victory that reinforced Sobrato’s place atop the division.
“I think it really showed what this team’s made of inside and what we can overcome,” Bulldogs third baseman Morgan Martinelli said. “We haven’t really faced teams that have given us a run for our money like this team. So by doing this, it kind of shows what we can do.”
Winners of six straight, Sobrato (5-0 league) moved two games ahead of Evergreen Valley and protected its lead over Prospect (4-1), whom the Bulldogs beat 2-1 Friday in one of their few league tests thus far.
A Sobrato team (8-3 overall) with more freshmen than seniors is poised to deliver the program’s first league championship.
“That’s been the objective all season,” SHS manager Gene Ciraulo said. “We knew it was going to be a tight one today, but this team and our staff of Penny (Ciraulo), Leonard (Torres) and I are committed.”
It wasn’t pretty at times. The Cougars’ seventh-inning rally was sparked by a string of Sobrato errors and a grounder that caromed off second base for a single.
“We were fighting off a jinx,” Ciraulo said.
But the Bulldogs’ mistakes were outweighed by big plays. Ribeiro stumbled over third base in the fifth, but had the awareness to race home when Heather Johnson got caught in a rundown behind her. In the seventh, a grounder went through Johnson’s legs at shortstop, but she recovered in time to turn the gaffe into an out at third. Johnson also snagged a soft liner that was inches from the ground in the first.
“We came together and stuck by each other,” Ribeiro said. “We really got to see each other’s skills.”
Heffernan’s game-ending grab was one of many highlights for the freshman second baseman. Heffernan also turned a 4-3 double play in the third, tagging a runner between second and first, and, in the sixth, fired to Martinelli from the cut-off spot to nail Andrea Huerta, who had hit a tying RBI triple but was not anticipating a throw.
“It’s the stuff you see on SportsCenter,” Ciraulo said. “Marissa’s just a great heads-up player.”
Mackenzie Mitchell went 4 for 4 with a double and an RBI, and Johnson drove in a pair, scored twice, stole two bases and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
Sobrato pitcher Samantha Torres received plenty of support through seven innings.
“My defense, they’re amazing; they’re always right there behind my back,” said the freshman, who struck out three, walked two and doubled twice. “I didn’t feel like I had my best stuff, but I know when I’m not doing good, they’re there to pick me up.”
Not every call went the Bulldogs’ way, but they did catch a few breaks. Torres was able to score from third and break a 5-5 tie in the seventh when, with two outs, Cougars pitcher Nicolette Fregoso (7IP, 13H, 2Ks) fielded a bunt by Heather Sjostedt but underhanded the ball too high for Tiffany Reis to keep a foot on first.
Klinger’s bomb to straight-away center came next, part of her three RBIs on the day.
“Kallie’s such a team player,” Martinelli said. “She has a quiet presence. That home run just shows what she’s capable of.”
Johnson was fortunate as well. The grounder that got by her struck the foot of Evergreen Valley’s Yasmine Hernandez, who was sprinting behind to third.
“If that doesn’t hit her, the ball goes into the outfield and she scores,” Cougars manager Bob McIntyre said. “I knew it was going to be a close game like that. Both teams are pretty good.”
For the Cougars (8-7, 3-2), Stacey DeMartini went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Alexandra Morgan scored twice. Shortstop Korrissa Aguilar, who also drove in a run, made a perfect relay throw home to DeMartini in the seventh to save a run.
Evergreen Valley scored three runs in the third to lead 3-1, but Sobrato was rolling after Torres led off the sixth with a double. Klinger scored Torres on a fielder’s choice, and Johnson and Mitchell followed with run-scoring hits to make it 5-3.
“One hit can start so many things,” Martinelli said. “We just need that one.”
While much of the attention has been on Sobrato’s talented freshmen, like Torres, Mitchell, Martinelli and Heffernan, Ciraulo said the team’s unity has been its biggest asset.
“The seniors understand they can’t succeed without the freshmen, and the freshmen understand they can succeed without the seniors and the juniors and sophomores the same,” he said. “In my seven years of high school ball, I’ve never seen a team like this. It’s a very rare thing.”
