Eight is enough for the time being for the San Benito softball team as it defeated Homestead 2-1 Wednesday night at chilly PAL Stadium.
The victory in the Central Coast Section Division I semifinals sends the Haybalers to the D-I finals for the eighth consecutive year. They will meet the winner of Thursday's Leland-Carlmont game on Saturday at PAL at a time to be determined.
Success didn't come easily for the Balers as they took a 2-0 lead into the seventh only to see Homestead fight back, putting the potential tying run on second base with two out.
"I was a little bit nervous, but I was mostly relaxed," San Benito's University of San Diego-bound pitcher Megan Sabbatini said. "I'd been in this situation before, especially in the last CCS game against North Salinas. I was just trying to relax all of the girls and say that everything was going to be OK."
Homestead threatened with one-out singles to right field by Adena Glincher and Maddie Casto. Then Maggie Matzinger grounded out to second base to score one run and move the other runner to second base.
But Sabbatini bore down and struck out the final Mustang batter to end the game.
Sabbatini was superb, allowing four hits, striking out six and walking nobody.
"I was just trying to focus on every pitch and not try to focus on the pressure in the circle," Sabbatini said. "My best pitches were the curve and rise and my change-up was working also."
Not that Homestead didn't get the barrel on the ball a few times. Mustang leadoff hitter Noa Yakir and shortstop Chelsea Convissar each hit a fourth-inning drive that would have been a home run at most normal high school ballparks but at spacious PAL landed harmlessly in the glove of Baler left fielder Brittany Sparrer.
"Noah and Chelsea hit some balls that would have been out except for that 230-foot fence," Homestead coach Steve Allemandi said. "(San Benito) hit some balls in the gaps, while we hit some balls at people. But I'm proud of our accomplishments this season. We won more games than ever before and made it to the semis for the first time."
San Benito coach Scott Smith agreed the Homestead sluggers concerned him.
"I was worried from the first inning," he said. "They have some kids who can hit the ball out of the park. They're very competitive and we talked about the fact they were going to make a couple of runs at us."
Homestead's St. Mary's-bound senior Katie Moss was every bit as good as Sabbatini, allowing just one hit, striking out seven and walking nobody.
But a two-base outfield error in the first led to a San Benito run, eventually driven in on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Fabing.
In the bottom of the sixth San Benito scored a crucial insurance run after a two-out infield error.
Despite the loss, Allemandi thought his team proved a point -- that Homestead (25-5) could compete with mighty San Benito after an earlier 5-1 loss to the Haybalers.
"The last time we played them we were intimidated," Allemandi said. "This time we showed we could hang with them."
Callie Heen had the game's only extra base hit, a double to left field in the fourth inning.
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John Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com and followed on Twitter @PrepCat
