Bulldogs complete sweep of Feather River to secure return trip to State Championships
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
Smashing three more home runs for a school record season total of 83, College of San Mateo completed a super regional sweep of visiting Feather River College, 8-4, on Saturday and will take a 2-year 12-game post season winning streak to Bakersfield Thursday to begin final defense of its 3C2A state softball championship. The Bulldogs meet Saddleback College (32-13) in a 2 p.m. tournament opener at Bakersfield College.
Reigning champion CSM brings a state-best 41-1 record into the state finals, having reached that tournament every season of competition since 2013.
Adding to their state-ranking home run totals were all-state stars Love Cabanas (No. 9), Nia Mapa (No. 17), and Hannah Ames (No. 12) to help provide a 7-1 lead after six innings. Host CSM, playing in the visitor position, made it 8-1 in the top of the seventh as Rio Castillo doubled home Alyssa Green. Feather River scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to make the final score respectable.
All-stater Ale Phillips gave San Mateo a quick 1-0 lead in the top of first, scoring on an error, and the Bulldogs never looked back. Cabanas led off a 3-run third inning with her blast, after which Hannah Ames doubled home Katie Johnson and advanced Selena Gonzales to third. Peyton Huber then singled in Gonzales to increase the lead to 4-0.
Johnson singled home Janelle Ramirez in the fourth to add to the lead.
Mapa and Ames hit solo shots in the sixth for the 7-1 advantage. All-state co-player of the year Mapa co-leads Northern California (No. 3 in the state) with her 17 round trips.
All-state pitcher Lola Sierra struck out four, while allowing three hits – to extend her record to 26-1 (equal to No. 3 for most wins in the state). Sierra ranks No. 2 in the state in E.R.A. at 1.61 – just behind pacesetting teammate Mapa (1.43), who has a perfect 9-0 pitching record, while also batting .464.
--CSM also had three home runs in Friday's first game of the series, a 15-0 run-rule "mercy" win over Feather River. The Bulldogs are now averaging two home runs throughout their 41 wins this season -- well ahead of the state field.