Sargent’s Gem Sends Panthers to Semi-Finals With San Mateo
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sacramento City
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
|
Cypress
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
by Andrew Wheeler, CCCSIA
Bakersfield, CA - Big 8 Conference Pitcher of Year Kali Sargent (25-5) gave up just two hits, allowed just three total base runners, and notched her ninth shutout of the season as she helped send NorCal #3 Sacramento City College to the semi-finals of the 2016 CCCAA State Softball Championships in a 2-0 win over SoCal #1 Cypress College.
The game featured very little offense through the first four innings. Sacramento City failed to take advantage of a pair of fielding errors by Cypress in the top of the first, and the Chargers didn't even put a runner on the base paths until the bottom of the third.
The lone run through the first half of the game came in the top of the third, when a double to right-center off the bat of sophomore Kaitlyn Leffle brought in freshman Catie Gravel to make it 1-0 in favor of the Panthers. The Chargers' best chance in the early going was a two-out rally in the bottom half of the third. Cypress got back to back singles by sophomores Alexis Carmona and Justice Walker, but the threat ended on a foul out to freshman Panther third baseman Gabi Avila.
Sacramento would tack on an insurance score in the top of the sixth inning when freshman Gabby Ortiz singled back up the middle of the field plating sophomore Cheyenna Newman to make it 2-0. That's all they needed as Cypress managed just one more base runner over the final two innings of the game.
Sargent would finish the game with six K's on the night right at her season average of K's per game. At the plate, Leffle finished 2 for 4, while Newman was 2 for 3.
The win by Sacramento, it sets up an all NorCal Semi-Final, the first of it's kind in the current four-team tournament format. Sacramento and San Mateo, who have not squared off this season, will be back out at the Dean and Ada Gay Sports Complex Saturday afternoon at 3:00 PM with a berth in the State Championship Game on the line. Cypress College and Santiago Canyon College will meet at approximately 5:30 PM with the loser of that contest being sent home.