THE NUMBER 15: HR FOR DONOVAN, WIN FOR BERRIATUA -- #1 CSM (22-0) WINS COAST SB SHOWDOWN AT FOOTHILL, 10-2.
Harlee Donovan added to her state home run and RBI leads with the 15th blast of the season and batted in three more runs as unbeaten No. 1 College of San Mateo turned back second place Foothill’s challenge, 10-1, in a Coast North softball game Saturday afternoon in Los Altos Hills. CSM pitcher Lauren Berriatua added to her state leads in wins (15) and lowered her pacesetting ERA to 0.28, allowing no earned runs and just two singles over five innings. The sophomore righthander out of Notre Dame (Belmont) walked none and struckout a pair (adding to her No. 4 in the state total of 99). Lacie Crawford pitched the final two shutout innings, striking out three.
COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO SPORTS NEWS March 8, 2015 Contact: Fred Baer baerf@smccd.edu
THE NUMBER 15: HR FOR DONOVAN, WIN FOR BERRIATUA;
#1 CSM (22-0) WINS COAST SB SHOWDOWN AT FOOTHILL, 10-2.
Harlee Donovan added to her state home run and RBI leads with the 15th blast of the season and batted in three more runs as unbeaten No. 1 College of San Mateo turned back second place Foothill's challenge, 10-1, in a Coast North softball game Saturday afternoon in Los Altos Hills.
CSM pitcher Lauren Berriatua added to her state leads in wins (15) and lowered her pacesetting ERA to 0.28, allowing no earned runs and just two singles over five innings. The sophomore righthander out of Notre Dame (Belmont) walked none and struckout a pair (adding to her No. 4 in the state total of 99). Lacie Crawford pitched the final two shutout innings, striking out three.
Foothill (11-10, 5-2 Coast North) had the opportunity to move a half game ahead of CSM (22-0, 5-0) in the conference standings with a win. The Owls fell short – scoring just two unearned runs in the second inning, which had tied the game briefly. CSM went ahead for good with two tallies in the top of the third and took command with three more in the fourth frame and two in the sixth. The 9-2 lead at that point was one short of the 8-run mercy rule. So the game ended up going the full seven innings – only the fifth time CSM has gone the limit during its record 22-0 start.
HIGHLIGHTS: Half Moon Bay High grad Donovan went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and also walked once. Her 49 RBI total is 13 ahead of the state pack. Lelani Akai hit a home run and went 2-for-3 with four RBI's (where she ranks third in the state with 31). She stole a base and scored twice. Leadoff hitter Kayleen Smith scored three runs, aided by a pair of stolen bases. She leads Northern California with 18 steals and ranks No. 2 in the state.
TOP HITTER EXPECTED BACK SOON: Playing without injured state No. 2 hitter Melina Rodriquez, the Bulldogs survived a week of two tough challenges, also turning back state No. 10 ranked San Joaquin Delta College, 4-3, in eight innings. Rodriquez, who is batting .625, is expected back soon.
UNANIMOUS NO. 1: CSM is the unanimous No. 1 poll choice by coaches of the state's 80 community college softball teams and has defeated the No. 2 and 3 ranked teams!
CSM No. 1 in 15 state team categories:
Runs scored, 248 (and have given up only 25); batting average, .439; slugging percentage, .757; hits, 244; home runs, 39; doubles, 50; RBI's, 217; extra base hits, 94; total bases, 421; on base percentage, .517; sacrifice hits, 30; ERA, 0.92; shutouts, 9; opponents batting average, .163; fewest times hit into double play, 1.
NEXT: CSM plays a pair of Coast games on the road this week, visiting Hartnell College in Salinas on Tuesday (March 10) and state No. 6 Cabrillo College in Aptos (the Coast South co-leader) on Thursday, both at 3 p.m. The Bulldogs host a 12 noon doubleheader on Saturday (March 14) against Reedley College of the Central Valley.