#1 CSM (32-0) CLINCHES 4TH STRAIGHT COAST NORTH SB TITLE

COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO SPORTS NEWS

Contact: Fred Baer baerf@smccd.edu

EDWARDS, BERRIATUA, AKAI PACE 11-1 WIN OVER 2ND PLACE OHLONE

FREMONT -- Kacy Edwards smacked three hits and Lauren Berriatua extended her perfect pitching record to 21-0 as state top-ranked College of San Mateo (32-0) ran past second place Ohlone College, 11-1, to clinch a fourth consecutive Coast North Conference softball championship.

State ERA leader Berriatua (0.30) gave up a rare run to the host Renegades in the first inning before the Bulldogs began their rampage with runs in each of the next three frames.

Burlingame grad Edwards went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs and Leilani Akai smacked her 11th home run (ranking No. 3 in the state), the only extra base hit in the game. Akai (out of Moreau Catholic) had two hits and four RBIs, walked twice and score two times.

Harlee Donovan (Half Moon Bay) had two hits and scored twice but did not add to her state leading RBI total (59) or her NorCal leading home run tally (15). Christy Peterson (Carlmont) also had two hits and scored twice.

Berriatua struck out seven, pitching a complete game; also had a hit and an RBI and scored twice. She is No. 8 in the state in batting with a .550 average.

Melina Rodriquez, the state batting leader before being sidelined several weeks with an injury, played a full game at first base and extended her hitting streak to 31 consecutive games over two seasons. Rodriquez is hitting .576. but her 75 plate appearances fall short for official state ranking.

CSM does have three of the state's top hitters in No. 8 Berriatua (from Notre Dame, Belmont), No. 10 Donovan (531), and No. 14 Akai (.513). The Bulldogs have the leading team average .423 and several other leading marks, inclulding 44 home runs, 340 total runs, and 299 RBIs. Kaylee Smith stole her 25th base, ranking No. 5 in the state.

CSM remains the only unbeaten among the state's 80 community college softball teams.

At 13-0, San Mateo now holds a 4-game lead over Ohlone (9-4) in the Coast North.

AIMING FOR 35-0: CSM hosts City College of San Francisco on Tuesday (April 7) at 3 p.m. Remaining games are April 14 at Chabot and the regular season finale on April 21 against visiting Foothill.

The Bulldogs have only one game a week until post-season play begins in May -- with five of scheduled games being cancelled by opponents (including one Coast team dropping the sport).

CSM expects to have the home field advantage throughout the regionals.