Hillsdale softball team tops San Mateo when it means the most

And the Bearcats lived up to that top billing, beating crosstown rival Aragon 4-1 in the first round of the tournament last Saturday.

That set up a rematch with fourth-seeded Hillsdale in a Division I semifinal game.

But Hillsdale, the defending CCS Division II champ, was determined to write a different ending to the Bearcats’ Cinderella story. Behind a gutty pitching performance from Lola Jones, the Knights advanced to Saturday’s Division I championship game after beating San Mateo 8-4 at Capuchino High School Wednesday evening.

“We weren’t going to lose to San Mateo a third time,” said Hillsdale head coach Eryn Butcher.

It certainly wasn’t easy and the early part of the game played out eerily similar to those two regular-season games between the two. In those matchups earlier this season, Hillsdale (19-9) jumped out to early leads, only to see San Mateo (18-6) rally to tie and eventually win both games in extra innings.

Wednesday had a similar start. The Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the game was tied at 3-all after two innings and San Mateo pushed across a run in the bottom of the third for a 4-3 lead.

But this time, Hillsdale responded, scoring five times in the top of the fifth to take control of the game.

“It was a fight, beginning to end,” Butcher said. “[We] never gave up.”

Mia DeMartini, Hillsdale’ No. 3 hitter, did what she does best: drive the Knights’ offense. And she certainly was in the driver’s seat as she went 3 for 4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored — collecting a hit, driving in a run and scoring during that three-run first inning.

“Stud,” was how Butcher described DeMartini. “She loves softball. She wants the bat in her hands.”

The Knights wasted little time in putting the pressure on San Mateo. Liana Mack led off the game with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Sophie Shelton reached on an error and DeMartini drove in the first run with a single to center, going to second on the throw. She would steal third and score on a wild pitch to go up 2-0. G Brum then capped the early uprising with an RBI single.

But San Mateo got right back in the game, thanks to another big hit from Knights’ killer, Alice Han.

It was Han who had the big hits during the regular season, twice delivering three-run home runs that tied those games. She came to the plate with two on and two out in the second and while she didn’t go deep, she did drill a two-run double. Combined with a Kimi Cormier RBI earlier in the inning and the game was tied at 3-all.

The Bearcats proceeded to take the lead in the bottom of the third when Jana Davies, who had led off the inning with a walk, scored on a Hillsdale error to put San Mateo up 4-3.

And that looked like it would be enough for San Mateo starter, Celia Hernandez. After her wobbly start, she locked in and allowed only two hits over the next three innings.

But the Hillsdale bats came alive in the fifth as the Knights rallied for the lead. They scored five runs on six hits, four of which were doubles, as they sent nine batters to the plate.

No. 9 hitter Ania Aleshi led off the inning with a single and went to third on a Mack double. Both runners came home on a Shelton double to put the Knights up 5-4. DeMartini followed with her second RBI of the night, doubling home Shelton. Jones and Maddie Peña also drove in a run during the rally as Hillsdale opened up an 8-4 advantage.

And then Jones took it home. After surrendering the lead in the third, Jones allowed only two hits over the final four innings, finishing with six strikeouts.

It wasn’t easy, however, as the Bearcats battled to their final out. In the bottom of the seventh, San Mateo loaded the bases with two outs, but Jones got a strikeout to end the game and send the Knights to a second straight CCS championship game appearance. The Knights will face off against No. 7 Alisal (19-5) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at San Jose City College.

“[Jones] was ready to go. She threw a lights-out game Saturday (a 12-2 win over Wilcox in the first round),” Butcher said. “[This team] loves the playoffs. They won it last year and didn’t want to settle for anything less (this year).”