“Everything after two,” goes the softball rally motto. The
Gavilan softball team got almost everything it needed to beat the
Coast Conference’s Northern Division’s first-place team Ohlone
Thursday when Courtney Colianna hit a two-out, two-strike single up
the middle to drive in two runs in t
he bottom of the seventh for the Rams. Colianna’s hit tied the
score at four, capping off a 4-1 comeback for the Rams in that
inning. The score remained locked at four until the top of the
11th, when Ohlone’s Missy Cross knocked a home run down the right
field line to put the Renegades ahead for
good, 5-4.
“Everything after two,” goes the softball rally motto.
The Gavilan softball team got almost everything it needed to beat the Coast Conference’s Northern Division’s first-place team Ohlone Thursday when Courtney Colianna hit a two-out, two-strike single up the middle to drive in two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the Rams.
Colianna’s hit tied the score at four, capping off a 4-1 comeback for the Rams in that inning.
The score remained locked at four until the top of the 11th, when Ohlone’s Missy Cross knocked a home run down the right field line to put the Renegades ahead for good, 5-4.
“She just swung late and the ball landed just a few feet inside the foul line,” said Gavilan coach Tim Kenworthy. “That kind of thing happens sometimes. At that moment, luck was on their side.”
It was Vicki Velazquez who drove in the first run of the seventh-inning comeback. Velazquez hit a bloop single down the right field line to score Katrina Villa (hit-by-pitch) from third to make it 4-2. Ohlone then walked lead-off hitter Kristina Pena to load the bases.
Kristine Miles was thrown out on a fielder’s choice for the second run, which brought Colianna to the plate for her clutch two-run single.
“I could not be more pleased with our comeback in the bottom of the seventh, though,” said Gavilan coach Tim Kenworthy. “Down 4-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, we could have just thrown in the towel. But this group just never gives up and has just played very good softball all year long. I’m very proud of them.”
The Lady Rams set up scoring chances in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, but left runners stranded both times.
With one out and runners on first and second, Gavilan’s Amanda Jackson smoked a line drive to the glove of Ohlone left fielder Lauren Pensa, who doubled-up Colianna at second for the third out.
“Amanda just hit a rocket, said Kenworthy. “If that ball goes 10 feet in either direction or just a foot higher we win the game.”
The Lady Rams, who play next at the College of San Mateo on Saturday, are now 16-11 overall and remain in third place with a record of 7-6 in the Coast Conference’s Southern Division.
