Sobrato hosts first-place Santa Teresa Tuesday
MORGAN HILL — When they began training for their first-ever season in the Blossom Valley Athletic League super class, the Sobrato Bulldogs said they belonged at this level, playing with some of the top baseball programs in the CIF-Central Coast Section.
In light of Thursday’s 9-4 pummeling over Westmont in Mount Hamilton Division play, Sobrato’s bite is starting to match its bark.
“It was kind of a statement,” senior Billy Birrell said. “It lets people know this early that we can hit the ball. It’s a big statement.”
Sobrato is tied with three teams — Live Oak, Leigh, Pioneer — for second place in the Mount Hamilton Division standings at 3-3. They sit one game in back of Leigh and two games behind the first-place Santa Teresa Saints, whom the Bulldogs open a two-game series against at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Sobrato High School.
What’s this about statements?
“We’re looking forward to that battle,” Sobrato coach Ulises “Shorty” Gutierrez said. “It’s another challenge that we’re all looking forward to.”
That the Bulldogs were able to win two straight against Westmont last week speaks volumes. While Birrell, their ace pitcher, was off the mound nursing a shoulder injury, Ryan Williams and Shea Adams stepped up to throw back-to-back complete games. Williams earned the decision in a 2-1 victory, and Adams fought through soreness to toss a five-hitter Thursday at Sobrato, striking out six and walking one.
“Shea is stepping it up more and more each game,” Gutierrez said. “He plays catcher on Tuesday and pitches on Thursday. It’s always refreshing to know you have someone who’s going to go out there and give you good innings. He provides that for you.”
With the way his teammates are pitching, Birrell is in no rush to rejoin the rotation. He still made his presence felt at the plate Thursday, doubling twice and driving in a run. That came after a 3-for-3 batting effort Tuesday.
“He’s been on fire swinging the bat — that’s always good,” Gutierrez said. “And it’s contagious. Him, Shea, Tim Andrade, those three guys and the Bradley boys just as well, too, those guys are continuing to play hot.”
Adams, Birrell and Bryan Bradley finished 2 for 3 Thursday, with Adams tripling. Rauley Cambra also tripled, Andrade went 2 for 2 with a stolen base, and Williams drove in three runs.
“The guys are feeding off each other,” Gutierrez said. “When one guy’s hot, the other guy’s feeling it. Hitting becomes contagious. I think everyone’s buying in.”
Cannon Bernarding was 2 for 4 with an RBI and one run for Westmont (6-6 overall, 2-4 league), which stranded six base runners.
After the Warriors scored twice in the first inning, Sobrato matched them in the bottom half, and raised them two runs in the second and two more in the third. The Bulldogs totaled 11 hits on the way to their biggest single-game run total this season.
“The runs kept giving me a boost in confidence,” said Adams, who moved to 1-1 on the year. “That’s just what our team needs to do. There’s no doubt we can play at this level.”
Sobrato on Saturday dropped to 4-6 overall with a 3-2 loss to Scotts Valley in nonleague play.
The host Bulldogs went ahead 2-1 in the fourth inning, but the Falcons (6-1) answered with two runs in the fifth to take the lead for good.
Williams went 2 for 3 with stolen base and scored both of his team’s runs.
Chris Bradley (0-2) struck out five and gave up two earned runs in a complete-game six-hitter.
