Salinas-San Benito baseball

 Remember that 0-4 non-league start? Or the two straight losses to San Benito back in March?
 Oh, how people were quick to right off Salinas.
 Perhaps the caliber of competition had something to do with that rough start.
 What has transpired sense is a 12-2 run, catapulting the Cowboys to the top of the Gabilan Division going into today's battle at San Benito.
 Salinas was on the short end of a 6-5 and 4-2 loss to the Balers on March 19 and 20. Redemption on the road would mean a two-game lead with four remaining.
 The last time the Cowboys won a league title was in 1990, when current assistant coach Chris Bunch was a standout slugger.
 After a 5-0 league start, San Benito has stumbled at 3-5.
 Both teams lost an ace on the mound for various reasons. Yet, Salinas has rallied around the loss of Ethan Santos, with Josh Olivarria and Ryan Jensen shutting down opponents on the hill.
 At the plate, Olivarria has continued to spray the ball all over the field along with Cooper Smith and Connor Bangs.
 San Benito, which has won nine out of the last 10 league titles. has won its last five games against the Cowboys, and is 8-1 over the last three years. That one Salinas win came in Hollister.