FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fred Baer
(650) 483-3733
baerf@smccd.edu
CSM Baseball & Softball Teams Advance Dramatically; Top State Sprinter Runs Faster
College of San Mateo came into regional play Saturday with the longest winning streaks in the state among more than 170 softball and baseball teams — along with track’s fastest woman sprinter. The numbers changed dramatically — but the outcome was positive, as the Bulldogs moved on in state competition.
Following an exchange of crazy walkoff wins at College Heights Saturday, the CSM baseball team (30-12) advanced to Thursday’s Super Regional at Sacramento City College (30-11) – but no longer in possession of its state-leading 12-game winning streak, achieved with Friday’s 4-3 series opening win over Sierra College.
Batting in the home position in Saturday’s first game, previously state No. 2-ranked Sierra rebounded from potential elimination, down 2-0, to tie it in the eighth inning and walk off with a 4-2 victory on a home run in the bottom of the ninth. CSM took a 7-2 lead into the ninth inning of the deciding third game when the Wolverines exploded for eight runs to go up 10-7. The Bulldogs came back, however, with four runs in their final opportunity, getting a walkoff line drive single by Cole Sperling to bring home Andrew Howard to end it at 11-10.
CSM SOFTBALL STREAK AT 32: At the same time, on a neighboring home field, the San Mateo softball team had to erase a 1-0 deficit before winning its 32nd consecutive game, 11-1, over visiting Solano.
CSM scored seven runs in the second inning, including a 2-run homer by Riley Donovan (who had three RBI’s in the game), to take command. Leadoff hitter Aubrie Businger went 3-for-3 with three RBI’s and scored twice. Kaylyn Sterling was 2-for-2, with a walk — scoring three times. Bella Zalba also had two hits. Emily McAdams improved her state best pitching record to 28-1, striking out five in three innings of work.
The state No. 1 Lady Bulldogs (39-2) will host College of the Sequoias (28-14) in a region final series Friday (at 2 p.m.) and Saturday.
LIAO SPRINTS TO 4 NORCAL FINALS: Yan-Jun “Sophie” Liao qualified in four races at the Northern California track and field trials at Modesto JC, staying unbeaten in the 100 meters with her fastest time of the year, a slightly wind-aided 10.69 seconds. The Foster City resident also qualified first by a large margin in the 200 meters in 24.50 (with legal wind) and keyed two CSM relay teams. The Bulldogs were fifth in the 4 x 100 meter relay in a season best (and state No. 12 ranking) time of 49.48 and were fourth (second in their heat) in the 4 x 400 relay in 4:10.12 — with Liao running a 58.6 second leg to put her team into second.
In the field, CSM throwers Taina Livai and Teme Fanguna qualified easily in the women’s shot put and discus throw. Coast Conference men’s shot put champion Elijah Folau also advanced.
–Finals are Friday at Modesto and will determine qualifiers for the CCCAA state finals at CSM, May 17-18.
CSM BASEBALL SURVIVES & WILL VISIT SAC CC IN SUPER REGIONAL THURS.-SAT.
Consecutive back-to-back walkoff comebacks permeated the baseball air at College of San Mateo on Saturday as the Bulldogs (30-12) managed to make it to the Thursday’s state Super Regional round at Sacramento City College in spectacular fashion.
–Down 10-7 to Sierra College after giving up eight runs in the top of the ninth of the rubber game, San Mateo rebounded with four runs in the bottom of the inning — capped by Cole Sperling’s 2-out (and 2-strike) single to right to score pinch runner Andrew Howard from second base with the walkoff run. A 2-RBI triple by Alex Ackerman and then a double by Sean Prozell (scoring Ackerman) had tied it at 10.
Sierra had been on the verge of elimination (and ending the season with a 5-game losing streak) in the second game of the best-of-three series on Saturday morning. The Wolverines were down 2-0 to the Bulldogs after two innings, while batting in the home position.
Sierra, however, rebounded with single runs in the seventh and eighth to tie it. They walked off with new series life on a 2-run homer in the bottom of the ninth by Matt Lopez that just cleared inside the left field foul pole.
STREAK NOTES: CSM had taken the state lead with a 12-game streak, beating Sierra in the first game of the Series, 4-3, on Friday. Southwestern College lost its playoff opener, ending a 13-game skein.
Sierra College had entered the final week of regular season play ranked No. 2 in the state with a 29-7 record before losing the final three Big 8 conference games and the playoff opener to the Bulldogs.
San Mateo reached 30 wins for the second time in three seasons – and had 29 victories in 2018.
–The Super Regional round, also best-of-three, has single games scheduled starting Thursday at 2 p.m. and continuing on Friday and Saturday (if necessary).
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Links to Saturday state regional game boxes:
Baseball Game 2 box:https://www.cccaasports.org/sports/bsb/2018-19/Conference/All/boxscores/20190504_sj9z.xml
Baseball Game 3 box:https://www.cccaasports.org/sports/bsb/2018-19/boxscores/20190504_uiro.xml
Softball Game 2 box:https://www.cccaasports.org/sports/sball/2018-19/Conference/All/boxscores/20190504_n2bl.xml
