The Sunnyvale Sun

Sports

Gularte flips 1-hitter for Homestead win

By Mike Barnhart

Becca Gularte fired a 1-hitter and teammate Kelly Hamilton's second-inning double chased home Colleen Aubrey with the game's only run, as Homestead (6-1) handed Monta Vista its first Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division softball defeat of the year 1-0 on April 9.

Gularte struck out seven and walked just one, outdueling Monta Vista ace Kelley Martino and pulling the Mustangs within a half game of the first-place Matadors (7-1).

Homestead followed the division showdown by extending its victory string to 13 games with two wins at the Mission City Classic, April 11-12 at Mission College. The Mustangs (17-5 overall) beat Live Oak 7-5 in 12 innings and Leigh 1-0 before bowing to San Benito 5-0 in the championship game.

Molly Gosnell's triple in the sixth inning produced the only run in the semi-final win over Leigh (20-4). The Mustangs managed just two hits in the title game, singles by Hamilton and Gularte, while San Benito rapped 10. San Benito scored one run in the fourth and four more in the fifth.

Meanwhile, in pool play at the Steinbeck Classic in Salinas, Monta Vista won all three of its games, raising its overall record to 21-2.

Fremont (5-2, 13-6-1) remained in the De Anza chase by winning its seventh game in a row, 8-3 over visiting Mountain View.

Erratic Mountain View pitching (five walks, two hit batters) and a two-run single by senior shortstop Samantha Jennings helped the Firebirds score all of their runs in the third inning. Winning pitcher Taylor De Silva and Bianca Lopez also had RBIs during the big rally.

De Silva (7-1) pitched all seven innings, scattering six hits. Other than a two-run homer in the sixth inning, De Silva's change-up kept Mountain View batters off balance throughout.

Two nights later the Firebirds were ousted from the Mission City Classic by Leigh 5-4 in eight innings. Celine Kealiinomohoku drove in three runs with two of the Firebirds' five hits.

In El Camino Division play, Cupertino scored in every inning but the second during its 13-5 El Camino Division victory over Los Altos on April 10. Amanda Mosher (three hits) and Ashley Himan (two doubles) paced an 11-hit attack for the Pioneers, who improved to 3-4 in the division and 5-13 overall. Winning pitcher Emma Zercher worked all seven innings to earn her first decision of the season.