Seahawks come through in a pinch, advance to Super Regional
APTOS >> After a loss to Butte on Saturday in Game 1 of the first round of the California Community College Athletic Association Northern California playoffs, it was win or go home for the Cabrillo College softball team.
The Seahawks chose to stick around.
The Seahawks' bats came alive in an 11-6 win in Game 2 and Michelle Firebaugh followed that with a 4-0 win in Game 3 in which she dominated the Roadrunners' batters by pitching a complete-game shutout.
With the victory, Cabrillo advances to the CCCAA Northern Super Regional at Sierra College in Rocklin. The Seahawks (31-12), the No. 6 seed in the double-elimination tournament, will take on No. 4 Cosumnes River College (28‐11‐1) on Friday in the second game. The time is TBD.
Cabrillo defeated Consumes River, 3-2, in its second game of the season and lost to the Hawks, 1-0, in its third game, both played at Monterey Peninsula College.
Firebaugh threw for seven innings and gave up five hits, one walk and struck out four batters in third and deciding game.
"We knew that coming into these two games that our backs were against the wall, and we jut had to make our presence stand," Firebaugh said. "We're excited, I'm excited."
She also threw 2 2/3 innings and gave up an earned run in Game 2 after coming in to relieve starting pitcher Taylor Tessier in the top of the fourth. Firebaugh was 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI, a run scored and a towering home run over the left-field fence in the top of the seventh that put the Seahawks on the road to victory.
Tessier threw for 4 1/3 innings and gave up four earned runs, including a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning to Butte's Allison Taylor.
The home run gave the Roadrunners a 5-3 lead and could have been a momentum killer for Cabrillo. But as cool as the other side of its good luck rock, the offense slowly worked its way into staying alive in the elimination game.
Marissa Bugayong and Alex Nabarrete tied the game at 5-all when Cassidy Knowles hit a two-run triple in the top of the fourth. Shortly afterward, Samelia Gonzales' infield fly ball was dropped by Butte shortstop Taylor Peters, allowing Knowles to come home to give Cabrillo a 6-5 lead.
There was no looking back for Cabrillo as it went on to win the game and eventually the series. After not being able to put up a single run on the scoreboard in Saturday's loss, the Seahawks racked up 11 in Game 2 and managed to hold the Roadrunners without a run in Game 3.
"Yesterday our pitching was fine, our defense was fine, it was just the hitting," Cabrillo coach Kristy Rosinger said. "We lacked the aggression and we were playing defense at the plate instead of getting out front and attacking the ball. (It took) just being confident in ourselves and they did it today. They turned it around and they refused to lose."
Bugayong was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored and a walk, while Mikal Cuellar went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. Elise Amend went 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
In Game 3, Mio was 1-for-3 with a run scored and Cuellar went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored, while Nabarrete finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Seahawks.
"All season we've been talking about team heart and the drive and the one wish, the one dream," Cuellar said. "Everyone's mentality was different today, everyone was there. It was a completely different atmosphere. I don't have words, I'm so excited."
photo by Kevin Johnson -- Santa Cruz Sentinel