It has been 26 years since a Gavilan College women’s softball
team has attained a Coast Conference championship. On Wednesday,
the Lady Rams buckled into the proverbial driver’s seat and now
control their own destiny to that coveted title, defeating
first-place San Jose City College 2-1 in an extra-inning nail biter
in the final regular-season home game
GILROY — It has been 26 years since a Gavilan College women’s softball team has attained a Coast Conference championship.
On Wednesday, the Lady Rams buckled into the proverbial driver’s seat and now control their own destiny to that coveted title, defeating first-place San Jose City College 2-1 in an extra-inning nail biter in the final regular-season home game.
“It wasn’t all that pretty, but I guess we got it done,” fifth-year head coach Nikki Dequin said.
The Lady Rams (22-11, 10-2) came into the game trailing the Jaguars (24-5-1, 10-2) by one game in the Coast Conference South standings, needing a win to keep their championship aspirations alive. Four more conference games now remain on the schedule, sitting between the Lady Rams and that dream. If they win out, they will have at least a share of the conference crown.
“We are in the driver’s seat and hopefully we can control ourselves and our emotions and make sure we play our game from here on out,” said Dequin, who has led Gav to the playoffs each of the last two seasons. “We know we can beat those four teams. We just have to go out and get it done.”
With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Lady Rams made the Jaguars’ defense work, laying down two straight bunts that the Jags booted, one on a throw and one on a catch, leaving runners on first and second base with no outs.
“You got to put it on the ground and make them make the play,” Dequin said. “That’s what you’ve got to do.”
After a Jasmine Perez pop out (the only time she was retired in the game), and an Ashley Gamboa sacrifice bunt to advance the runners one base apiece, Nikki Lobato, who came into the at-bat 0 for 3 on the day, hit a sharp ground ball that the shortstop was unable to handle. Lobato beat the throw to first as Ellen Pearce crossed home plate for the winning run. The team poured out of the dugout to swarm Pearce and Lobato.
“We did well today. We didn’t make too many mistakes,” Dequin said. “We kept fighting and it went in our favor.”
The Jaguars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, scoring on a passed ball after loading the bases on two base hits and a walk.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the seventh — the Lady Rams’ last chance.
Ashley Sandoval delivered a one-out pinch-hit single to start the last-ditch rally. Perez followed with a double down the third-base line — one of her four hits on the day – moving pinch runner Jen Huebner to third. Huebner scored one batter later on an RBI-single by Gamboa, sending the game into extra frames.
“We knew that we needed to beat them to get a chance at the Coast Conference,” Perez said. “We wanted to win. We all came together and played as a team.”
Starting pitcher Melinda Ortiz went the distance for the Lady Rams, stranding runners in both the eighth and ninth innings to stave off a Jaguars’ attack. Ortiz finished the day with four strikeouts.
“Today I said, ‘let’s go out with a bang and let’s play our hearts out,” and we did,” Perez said.
The Lady Rams play West Valley today in San Jose. Whether they reach their goal or not, they are all but guaranteed a spot in the playoffs for the third year in a row.
