Chabot softball head coach Megan Kravets loves her team's spirit during a season of ups and downs.
"I am so proud of this team. They really have gotten close and been there for each other," she said.
That mindset showed during a remarkable come-from-behind win over Yuba, 21-13, on a wet Saturday in Hayward.
The Glads rallied from a 12-1 deficit in spectacular fashion, on a day when a downpour flooded the field to force a three-hour delay. The Gladiators worked diligently to get the field back to playable, down 9-0 in the bottom of the third.
What followed was a thunderous offensive explosion as the Glads scored one in the third, 10 in the fourth, nine in the fifth and one in the sixth, to walk off a winner. Boom!
In the third, Aliya Lubrin walked, advanced on an Emilie Vonderheid single and scored on Cherlyn Sandal's double.
In the fourth, Yuba scored three times to up the lead to 12-1, but Chabot cut it to 12-11 with 10 runs on six hits. Larissa Carrasco started the rally with a first-pitch single. Later, Carrasco socked an RBI double.
In the fifth, Yuba scored again and led 13-11, but the Glads got hot again in the bottom of the frame. Haley Matthews and Sandal both singled and scored on a hit by Jalen Fa'aita. Matthews and Sandal also singled in the inning as Chabot scored nine times on seven hits.
Top of the sixth, Chabot locked it down with a 1-2-3 inning. Chabot then ended it as Cienna Duenez, a pinch hitter for Yuba Aguayo, reached on an error. Lubrin belted a double in the right-center gap, advancing Duenez into scoring position. Aguayo re-entered for Duenez, followed by Esther Ibarra coming in to pinch hit for Nia Burnett. Ibarra hit a walk-off single as Aguayo scored to end it.
Lubrin was 4 for 5 with three runs scored and four stolen bases. Matthews was 3 for 3 with three runs and an RBI. Carrasco was 2 for 4 with three hits and a run. Sandal was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBI. Lubrin, Carrasco and Matthews all had doubles.