San Jose Sting

San Benito 8, Gilroy 3: Led by the bat of senior Lizzy Gatto, the San Benito Haybalers reeled in their third straight CCS Division I championship, defeating Gilroy.

Junior pitcher Marisa Ibarra earned the win, improving to 3-0 in CCS championship games.

Ibarra struck out four hitters in seven innings, none more important than the swinging strikeout to end a seventh-inning Gilroy charge.

The first seven batters reached base in a four-run opening inning for the Haybalers.

"Momentum is everything in this game, and we got it after the big first inning," Gatto said.

Ibarra held Gilroy hitless until the fifth inning, when Mustangs senior Brittany Balanesi ripped a triple over the head of the right fielder.

Next, junior Emily Castro hit a deep drive to center field, but a leaping catch near the warning track by Rachel Maheu limited Gilroy to only one run in the inning on the sacrifice fly.

Balanesi hammered an RBI double to left in the seventh inning, and Angelica Galindo followed with another RBI double to cut the San Benito lead to 8-3, but Ibarra quashed the rally.

"We needed to start hitting earlier today," Gilroy Coach Catherine Hallada said. "We got robbed a couple times today, but that's good defense on their part."