The College of San Mateo Bulldogs dropped the first game of their best-of-three regional playoff series Friday against visiting Reedley College. Twenty-eight runs and 31 hits later, the Bulldogs are moving on to the Super Regional.
Slugging shortstop Dylan Hillman hit two home runs on the day Saturday, a go-ahead three-run blast in CSM’s 13-4 victory in Game 2, and another three-run shot in Game 3 to tie it in the fifth en route to a 15-9 Bulldogs win.
Hillman went 4 for 7 with six RBIs in the doubleheader, and is now tied for the Coast North Conference lead with 12 home runs on the year.
CSM came out swinging in Game 2, jumping all over Reedley to the tune of nine runs through the first three innings, including a seven-run explosion in the second. But with the game in hand, CSM still had to reset to beat Reedley in a doubleheader nightcap Game 3.
Things were looking grim early, with the Tigers opening up a 6-3 lead in the fourth. Hillman changed that with his second three-run shot in the fifth. CSM jumped ahead with a six-run sixth, with the Bulldogs capitalizing on four walks, one hit batsman and a Reedley error to send 10 batters to the plate in the inning.
Luke Rossi got the hit parade started for the Bulldogs in Game 2 with a solo home run in the first, his sixth of the year. Aaron Babaev also homered in the game, a two-run shot in the sixth. In Game 3, CSM jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a two-run single by Charlie Welch in the first, and a solo homer by Ethan Lopez in the second. Reedley answered with back-to-back 3-spots in the third and fourth.
CSM leadoff hitter Lucas Schumacher enjoyed a big day at the plate as well, going 5 for 10 with six runs scored. Through April 15, the freshman was batting .265 in limited action, but has gone 11 for 28 through his last seven games to improve his season average to .323. He went 6 for 12 in the regional series.
Freshman right-hander AJ Minyard gutted out the win in Game 2, allowing three runs (two earned) on 10 hits, four walks and a hit batsman, with five strikeouts, through eight innings of work. Freshman right-hander Braden Agosta earned the win in Game 3 through 3 1/3 innings of relief.
Skyline sweeps Cosumnes River
Freshman Vinny Smith got the Trojans on the board with an RBI in the second later belted a three-run home run to lead Skyline to a 5-2 victory over Cosumnes River in Game 2 of a best-of-three regional playoff series at Trojan Diamond. With the win, Skyline finished off a series sweep to advance to Super Regional play.
Skyline led the entire way, going up 2-0 in the third on Trey Johnson’s RBI single. Starting pitcher Nikae Heeney departed after three innings of work with a 2-1 lead. Sophomore right-hander Tyler Pechetti came on to work six innings of relief to earn the win, allowing one run on four hits and one walk, with five strikeouts. His record improves to 5-3.
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Smith was 2 for 4 with four RBIs in the contest, while freshman Santino Nunez added three hits. Cosumnes’ Chase Christenson homered in the second, his fourth of the year.
Johnson went 4 for 8 in the series. Skyline won the series opener Friday afternoon 4-2.
Cañada eliminated in Rocklin
The Colts jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, but Sierra College chipped away to force extra innings before winning it 6-5 in the 11th in Game 2 to claim a best-of-three regional series sweep in Rocklin.
With Sierra playing as the visiting team on the scoreboard, Owen Faith scored on a passed ball to put the Wolverines ahead in the 11th. Cañada set the table in the bottom of the inning, with Matthew Lofberg leading off with a single and Tanner Van Why reaching on an infield error to put runners at the corners with one out. Reliever Dylan Schmitt buckled down, though, tabbing a strikeout and a groundout to end the Colts’ season by leaving both runners stranded.
The Wolverines tied it 4-all in the sixth on an RBI double from Owen Faith, then took the lead in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Kimo Wilinski. Cañada drew even in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Bittner.
CSM softball cruises into Super Regional
The Bulldogs, seeded second in the Northern California regional playoffs, made quick work of No. 15 Feather River to advance to the Super Regional.
CSM (37-3 overall) swept past the Golden Eagles in the best-of-three series over the weekend, posting a pair of shutouts. Nohemi Livingston opened the playoffs with a four-hit shutout in Friday’s postseason opener, a 4-0 CSM victory as she improved to 23-3 on the season. Love Cabanas supplied the bulk of the offense, driving in a pair of runs.
Saturday, Gianna Tassio took the ball and did Livingston one better, pitching a three-hit shutout in a 6-0 CSM win. Cici Kim had two hits, including a double, and drove in a pair of runs. Jessica Gutierrez added a two-run single for the Bulldogs.
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