Bulldogs advance to State Championships for 10th straight season after sweep of Ohlone
SAN MATEO – The College of San Mateo softball team is headed back to a very familiar place.
Thanks to a two-game sweep of No. 10-seed Ohlone College in the Northern California Playoffs Super Regional, second-seeded CSM is headed back to the 3C2A State Championships for the 10th consecutive season. The Bulldogs opened the series on Friday with an 8-1 victory and closed it out with an 8-0 mercy-rule win in six innings on Saturday.
A pair of big innings in the series against Ohlone turned both close games into routs. Leading 3-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth in Friday's opener, the Bulldogs put up five runs to cruise to the win. And on Saturday, CSM put the mercy-rule into effect by exploding for six runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Ariana Montiel had a huge weekend in leading the CSM offense. She went a combined 4 for 6 at the plate with 5 RBI. Montiel drove in a pair of runs with a triple in Game 1 and smacked a two-run home run as well as an RBI double in finale.
Siona Halwani earned the Game 1 win by allowing a run and three hits over 7 innings. She struck out five. And Kennedie Magorian closed it out with a shutout, giving up three hits while recording seven strikeouts.
San Mateo improved to 37-5 overall and now heads to West Valley College in Saratoga for the 3C2A State Championships that gets underway beginning on Thursday, May 16. CSM is the North region's No. 2 seed and will take on South No. 3 seed Palomar College (38-4) at 11 a.m. in an opening-round game. | STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
Also competing for a state crown this weekend from the north are No. 1 San Joaquin Delta College (38-4), No. 3 Cosumnes River College (37-8), and No. 4 Sierra College (20-24). The south will be represented by No. 1 Fullerton College (40-5), No. 2 Cypress College (37-7), No. 3 Palomar, and No. 4 Mt. San Antonio College (36-9).
San Mateo went a combined 3-2 against four opponents that have qualified for the state tournament. CSM split a non-conference doubleheader at home against San Joaquin Delta on Apr. 4 (L, 2-1; W, 6-5), beat Cosumnes River 5-0 in a game played at Fresno City College on Feb. 24, beat Sierra 2-1 on the road on Feb. 10, and suffered a 4-0 loss to Mt. SAC in the season-opener on Jan. 26.
Ticket prices for the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) State Championship event are $12 for general admission and $8 for all identified students, faculty, staff, senior citizens age 60 and over, and children under 12 years old. Tickets are available online in advance at the 3C2A website. | TICKETS
San Mateo is looking to capture the program's second state title after winning it all in 2022.