Deja vu win for San Mateo which beats Hillsdale in extra innings for the second time this season

In a game eerily similar to the first meeting — an 8-6, nine-inning victory April 9 at Hillsdale — San Mateo fell behind early, got a momentum-swinging home run and then grinded out a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat Hillsdale 6-5 and pull into a first-place tie with the Knights atop the Peninsula Athletic League’s Bay Division standings with three games remaining in the regular season.

“[The win] puts us, legitimately, in the hunt (for the Bay Division title),” said San Mateo head coach Robert Burley. “I told the girls (at the beginning of the season), ‘I would love to have that.’”

They’re certainly in position now as San Mateo (9-2 PAL Bay, 15-4 overall) won its seventh straight Bay Division game, a streak that began with that April 9 win over Hillsdale (9-2, 15-8).

Hillsdale, on the other hand, saw its six-game Bay Division win streak end, one that started after the loss to San Mateo.

After not getting a lot going against Hillsdale reliever Lola Jones in innings five, six and seven, the Bearcats finally got to her in the bottom of the eighth. With one out and Celia Hernandez on via a fielder’s choice, Rachel Warner laced a single to center. Anya Cheng came up and quickly fell behind 0-2, but she drew four straight balls to work the walk and load the bases and bring up No. 8 hitter Kimi Cormier. After taking a first-pitch strike, Cormier lofted a fly ball into the right-center field gap. Hillsdale centerfielder Liana Mack made the catch, but Hernandez, who was at third, beat the throw home to give the Bearcats the walk-0ff win.

Cormier had singled in the fourth, but fouled out in the sixth before coming through in the eighth.

“I told her, ‘Don’t change your approach. Just keep swinging,’” Burley said.

And for the second straight game against the Knights, the Bearcats had to rally for win. Just like in their first meeting, the Bearcats fell behind 5-2.

And then it was time for San Mateo shortstop Alice Han to do Alice Han things. It was her three-run homer in the top of the fourth that tied the game at 5-all April 9 and it was her three-run home run to center in the bottom of the fourth that tied the game at 5-all Tuesday.

“She’s been mashing all year,” Burley said. “She’s special. (All) three of her homers have all tied games.”

Warner led off the rally with a single off the leg of Hillsdale starting pitcher Parker Jensen, who struck out the next batter. Cormier followed with a single to center ahead of a sacrifice bunt from No. 9 hitter Destiny Zhou to move the runners to second and third with two outs.

That turned the order over and brought Han to the plate. She had drawn two walks in her first two at-bats, facing a combined nine pitches. But she wasted no time in the fourth, jumping on the first pitch she saw and hammering it over the fence in center field to tie the game at 5-all.

“I was just looking for a strike,” Han said. “Just not thinking that much (at the plate).”

And like in the first meeting, the pitching took over. Jones came on in relief of Jensen following the homer and kept the Bearcats in check over the next three innings, striking out the side in the fifth and allowing only a two-out double.

Her San Mateo counterpart, Celia Hernandez, who pitched into the ninth inning April 9, had only one real bad inning, a five-run third. But after that, she gave up only three hits over the final four innings of work.

But Hillsdale had its chances. Sophia Shelton reached on an error to lead off the top of the fifth and she went to second on a Mia DeMartini single. But Hernandez got the next three batters to get out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, DeMartini laced a one-double down the left-field line for a double and then went to third on a groundout, but was stranded when Hernandez got another groundup to end that threat.

But Hernandez saved her best for last. In the top of the eighth inning, she threw three pitches — and got three outs.

“She hits her spots. She doesn’t look like a powerhouse, but she gets it done,” Burley said. “She has a good changeup.”

San Mateo wasted little time in taking a 2-0 lead, scoring twice in the top of the first inning, with Han drawing a leadoff walk. She went to second on a groundout and then alertly stole third when no one was covering as the Hillsdale third baseman had moved way up to guard against a bunt. Jana Davies drove in Han with a single to left and with Aliyah Scheller at the plate, stole second.

It was a big 60 feet as Scheller slashed a single to center to plate Davies for a 2-0 Bearcats’ lead.

Hillsdale, which got a double from Shelton in the top of the first and an infield hit from G Brum in the second, put it all together in the third inning, taking advantage of a pair of Bearcats miscues. No. 9 hitter Ania Aleshi led off the inning with a double to left. Mack followed with a sacrifice bunt, but the ball was thrown away at first to put runners on the corners.

That brought up Shelton, who singled home Aleshi for the Knights’ first run of the game.

And then — chaos. DeMartini singled sharply to center and Mack was sent home.

But the throw was waiting for her at the plate and she reversed course, going back to third, beating the tag. Shelton was already standing on the bag, but as she saw the play developing, she headed back to second, drawing a throw.

Mack quickly got back to her feet and headed home, diving in head first for the second run of the game. Shelton went back to third on the play and DeMartini pulled into second. Jones was walked to load the bases before Hernandez got an out with a popup to third. But a Brum single to left drove in Shelton.

Jensen came to the plate and hit what could have been a double play, but the throw from second got away from the first baseman and DeMartini scored easily. Jones managed to score, as well, just ahead of Jensen being called out for making an attempt to go to second.

It was the third out, but the run counted and Hillsdale held a 5-2 lead.

“This win means everything,” Hernandez said. “(Now, just) don’t let your foot off the gas.”