A 600-word count limit sounds like cruel-and-unusual punishment for writing about one of the most electric high school softball games in CCS history. On Tuesday afternoon, the Santa Clara Bruins advanced to the Division V Championship in the most incredibly dramatic fashion, a finished script that neither Hollywood, and certainly not chatGPT would have been able to write!
Down 14-6 in the fifth inning against North Monterey County, Santa Clara came storming back with an eight-run frame to tie things up at 14 a piece! The two sides went to extras tied at 15. Santa Clara would concede a run in the top of the eighth, but the Bruins finished off the game with a pair of runs in the bottom.
Jazzy Ramirez, after being intentionally walked in her previous two plate appearances, drove a one-out fly deep to right field, plenty of distance for the speedy Victoria Calvillo to essentially walk home from third for the winning run, Bruins win 17-16!
“These girls have persevered all season; they have just risen up to the challenges and it’s just been terrific seeing them grow,” responded Bruins Head Coach Julie Kawamoto after the exhausting and emotional victory. “The seniors these last four years and what better way to hopefully end their season; hopefully they win one more time. They deserve it so much. They have come a long way. They have definitely come together as a team and I couldn’t be more proud.”
While the Bruins softball program made the playoffs a year ago, the previous couple seasons left a sour taste for those involved. The tough years weren’t lost on Ramirez, the hero on Tuesday and a four-year varsity starter.
“This is amazing, it’s honestly a surreal moment. We’ve struggled over my past high school career,” acknowledged the second baseman and No. 3 hitter. “Seeing us get better and better and finally making CCS last year and making it to this point now, it’s just so surreal to me. It’s a great feeling.”
In addition to winning, Bruins cleanup hitter Cita Chavez earned the additional great feeling of making the opposing coach pay for walking Ramirez.
“Honestly, it kind of upsets me from time to time, it’s like, ‘Oh okay, [I see how you feel about me],’” laughed Chavez postgame on being the preferred batter for the opponent to pitch to. “But I get excited because I get to show them that they are making a mistake. It gets me angry and makes me want to hit the ball ten times more. I go in more ready and more focused.”
Chavez not only delivered offensively, but she teamed up with Calvillo for the defensive gem of the day. Perhaps a bit lucky, but the two collided in the outfield and juggled the ball off each other before Chavez secured it with two hands for the final out of the inning, saving two runs from scoring.
While the stars led the way for the Bruins, contributions were up-and-down the roster. Rylan Morales shined at shortstop and at the plate, showing incredible resilience after not having her best stuff in the pitcher’s circle.
Gisele Valdez not only held the Condors to just two runs over the final three innings from the pitcher’s circle, but she also led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single. Kyla Perkins, Ava Barkley, Marley Hernandez, Chloe Boyes, and Ally Banegas each contributed with clutch hits.
The Bruins will now play for a chance at a ring in the Division V CCS Championship.
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