By Richard Paolinelli
MaxPreps.com
As Notre Dame High (Salinas) drives for its 10th-straight Central Coast Section Division III softball championship, the Spirits just might make a ghost of their coach, Joe Given.
Notre Dame, which closed the season in less than stellar form, struggled yet again over the weekend but still managed to hang on for a 3-2 victory over the Soquel Knights.
But Soquel nearly tied the game in the fifth inning when Jayme Sprague attempted to score after her double to left was misplayed. Sprague was tagged out by Notre Dame catcher Maile Kim after a perfect relay throw by Spirits' shortstop Lauren Schutzler to preserve the one-run lead.
The Knights made one last push to end the Spirits title drive in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs before a game-ending strikeout preserved the Notre Dame victory.
The Spirits, riding a 29-game CCS playoff win streak that began following a 1997 championship game loss to San Jose Mitty, advanced to the Division III semifinals where they will face Notre Dame (Belmont), 4-0 winners over Kings Academy, in Tuesday's second semifinal game in San Jose.
The early Division III game will feature Live Oak facing Stevenson.
In the Division I bracket, defending champion San Benito escaped with a 2-1 victory over Monte Vista when Elizabeth Gato turned an innocent looking base hit into an inside the park, eventual game-winning home run in the sixth inning.
After Gato's heroics, sophomore Marisa Ibarra recovered from allowing her first run in CCS play in her career and retired all three Matadors she faced in the seventh to advance the Haybalers into Thursday's semifinal against Gilroy. San Benito defeated their Tri-County Athletic League rivals all three times the teams met in league play this year.
Carlmont will face Watsonville in the other semifinal.
In Division II action, Fremont rolled past North Monterey County, 7-2, and will face Leigh in Wednesday's semifinal while Mitty will battle Westmont in the other Division II semifinal game in San Jose.
Baseball
Los Gatos' Kyle Blair and Aptos' Kevin Eichhorn duked it out for nine scoreless innings, posting one zero after another on the scoreboard.
So it only stood to reason that one of them would end the duel with their bat instead of their pitch arm.
Eichhorn's 10th-inning grand slam off of reliever Steve Krach gave Aptos a 4-0 victory over the defending Central Coast Section Division II champions in Saturday's quarterfinal.
Aptos moves on to Thursday's semifinal against Mills, which finally defeated Burlingame for the first time in four tries this season in a 9-0 quarterfinal victory, while Los Altos will face Monterey in the other semifinal in San Jose.
In Division I, Santa Teresa stunned No. 2 Serra, 9-7, in the quarterfinals and will face San Benito in Wednesday's semifinals. Gilroy will play Valley Christian in the other semifinal in San Jose.
In Division III, Carmel began its quest for a third-straight Section championship by dismantling King's Academy 14-1 to advance to Tuesday's semifinal against Monte Vista Christian, which stunned Menlo 5-2 on Friday. Stevenson will play Scotts Valley in Tuesday's other semifinal.
