LosGatosObserver.com

The wait is over. Rather than back into the CCS playoffs with a Wilcox win over Homestead, the Los Gatos High School girls’ softball team took matters into its own hands Thursday, beating Fremont 2-1 to claim second place in the tough De Anza division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

And the win did not come easily.

With sophomore pitcher Sarah Van Belleghem forced to sit out with a sore shoulder, coach Al Pezino gave the ball to another sophomore, Kelsey Shain, and all she did was toss a three-hitter as Los Gatos defeated the Firebirds for the second time this season.

Shain did what coaches want their pitchers to do — throw strikes. She walked no one, struck out three and let her defense help her out. Of the 18 outs recorded in the field, 12 were on ground balls. And in five of the seven innings, Shain faced the minimum three batters.

Fremont struck early for its only run, scoring in the top of the first. But the Wildcats came right back to tie the game when leadoff hitter Keri Corey slapped an infield single toward third. She quickly stole second, moved to third on a fly ball by Rachel Abraham, and scored on single by Allison Heymann.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth when, with two out, senior Sydni Denues and junior Casey Showalter both singled. Pezino decided to bring Van Belleghem off the bench to pinch hit.

The count quickly went to two strikes, with Van Belleghem in obvious pain following a swinging second strike. Pezino called time and asked Van Belleghem whether “she had one more swing in her.” She replied yes and promptly lined the next pitch to the wall in left-center field to score the go-ahead run.

Then it was up to the defense to hold the lead. In the top of the seventh, Fremont pitcher Taylor DeSilva hit a ball to the right-field fence. But Kendra Mann raced to the fence, fired the ball back toward the infield and held DeSilva to a single. The play proved huge as Fremont would get another hit in the inning that potentially could have scored the tying run.

Los Gatos had seven hits in the game, two by Corey. They committed just one error in the field. And catcher Sammi Ridgway tossed out two Firebirds trying to steal second.

With the victory, Los Gatos earned a berth in the upcoming CCS playoffs, something the softball has not done since way back in 1995.

And with seven sophomores and six juniors on the roster, coupled with a JV team that has gone 23-1 in league play the past two seasons, things look awfully good for the softball team in upcoming years.

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