Six-Run Sixth Puts San Mateo in Semi-Finals

State Championship Brackets

by Andrew Wheeler, CCCSIA

Bakersfield, CA - College of San Mateo, the #1 seed out of North California, advanced to the semi-finals of the 2016 California Community College Athletic Association State Softball Championships on Friday afternoon after overcoming a two runs deficit with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Bulldogs took advantage of a pair of fielding miscues in the inning by South #2 Santiago Canyon College to get the advantage they needed, and then held on after a last ditch effort by the Hawks for an 8-6 win.

San Mateo landed the first blow of the weekend, when co-State Player of the Year and Bulldog leadoff hitter sophomore Harlee Donovan led the bottom of the first off with a walk, stole second, and then moved to third on a 4-3 groundout. Standing on third and with two outs, freshman Samantha Dean hit a hard ground ball back up the middle, driving in Donovan and making it 1-0.

The game would stay at that score through the second and third innings, until Santiago Canyon took their first lead with a pair of unearned scores in the top of the fourth. The first came via an RBI single off the bat of freshman Alyssa Sojka that plated freshman Manoa Weijgertse. The second was on a single to center field by sophomore Brittney Howe that brought in Sojka.

The Hawks would add to their lead in the top of the fifth on a 2-RBI double to center field from sophomore Kaitlyn Lanksbury making it 4-1. The Bulldogs rallied with one score in the bottom of the fifth, when Donovan hit an RBI single to left that scored sophomore Riley Wells and made it 4-2.

The Bulldogs would seemingly blow the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning when they scored six total runs, on just three hits, taking advantage of two errors by Santiago Canyon. Sophomore Kaitlin Chang, freshman Meagan Wells, and sophomore Christy Peterson all recorded RBIs in the inning as San Mateo went up 8-4.

Needing a miracle comeback, Santiago Canyon nearly got just that as Lanksbury belted a single to center field that drove in a pair with one out. That would be all the runs the Hawks could muster though as they ended the game with the bases loaded, stranding the go ahead run at first.

San Mateo freshman Morgan Jones (22-1) picked up the win, going six and a third, giving up six total runs, but only one of which was earned. Jones walked three and fanned three. Teammate Samantha Dean earned her third save of the season getting the final two outs of the game, also going 2 for 3 at the plate with a run and an RBI. For Santiago Canyon Lanksbury was 2 for 3 with four RBIs. 

With the win, San Mateo moves one win away from advancing to the State Championship Game for the second straight season. The Bulldogs will take on the winner of SoCal #1 Cypress College and NorCal #3 Sacramento City College, which gets under way at approximately 8:30 PM, at 3:00 PM on Saturday afternoon.