Historic day at South City

It was the softball team’s first postseason appearance since 2018.

“This was a pretty big accomplishment for the program,” South City softball head coach Dana Donnenwirth said. “It’s been quite a while.”

South City softball made even more history by winning its first CCS playoff game in program history, reveling in an abbreviated 16-1 mercy-rule victory. The Lady Warriors went 0-5 in their first five postseason appearances, dating back to their first trip to the playoffs in 1988.

Both teams made the most of the cross-campus doubleheader. The baseball game started at 1 p.m., with the Gentleman Warriors settling some early nerves to claim a 9-3 victory. If there were any nerves from the softball team, that started at 3 p.m., they weren’t apparent, as the Lady Warriors batted around twice in the second inning en route to their abbreviated three-inning victory.

“There was a fair amount of people at both games,” South City baseball manager Matt Schaukowitch said. “I would say close to a hundred at ours and about another hundred at the softball game. ... And there were some students out there. So, that was nice to see.”

Some fans even seized on the opportunity to attend both games, while some baseball players — after wrapping up their game in just over two hours — made their way over to the softball diamond.

“Yeah, after the baseball game finished up, there were some students and some baseball players that were coming over and watching the end of our game,” Donnenwirth said.

The two teams have twice previously qualified for the CCS playoffs in the same year — in 1988 and ’93. Prior to 2021, both teams played off campus, with the softball team calling Ponderosa Elementary School its home, while the baseball team played at Orange Memorial Park and also hosted games at Westborough Middle School in 2019 and part of ’21.

Rough start, stellar finish

South City baseball has a much more accomplished postseason resume than softball but, there too, the team is hoping to make history. Despite a long history of success under legendary coach Bob Brian, who led the team to the CCS playoffs 15 times, Warrior baseball has never reached the CCS finals, and only reached the semifinals for the first time in program history last season when Schaukowitch’s team dropped a 6-5 heartbreaker in the Division VI tournament in a walk-off win for Menlo School.

The Warriors’ return to the Division VI playoffs started fairly clunky Saturday, as North Salinas (19-6) pounced on some defensive miscues to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the second. Cumulatively outscoring teams 231-65 during the regular season, South City hasn’t played a lot of comeback baseball as of late.

“It was one of the few games that we did get behind early,” Schaukowitch said. “I think for some of the new kids coming up this year, it was their first big game and ... we made some blunders. But we got back in the saddle and pounded out some runs.”

South City narrowed it to 3-2 in the bottom of the second, then jumped ahead in the fourth. Junior Emilio Oseguera went 4 for 4 with a double and four RBIs on the day, and sparked the comeback rally with a one-out single. Senior Gabe Martin then got hit by a pitch, setting the stage for a two-run double to right-center by junior Gio Bernal, giving the Warriors a 4-3 lead.

The Warriors added three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth. Bernal finished with two doubles and three RBIs, while on the mound the right-hander went the distance, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits.

Martin and sophomore Vince Bernal added two hits and one RBI apiece.

For the second straight year, South City advances to the Division VI baseball semifinals. The Warriors will take on No. 6 Fremont-Sunnyvale at the neutral site of Schott Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University. Tuesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

A whirlwind win

South City softball sparred with Design Tech (13-7) for an inning and half, jumping ahead 1-0 in the first before the Dragons tied it in the second with an RBI from senior Desiree Torres to score senior Jeneva Fletcher.

Then the Warriors dropped the hammer, rallying for 15 runs in the bottom of the second. South City batted around twice, with junior Liala Kinchen and sophomore Miley Salvatore each reaching base three times in the inning. Kinchen led off the frame with a single and totaled two singles and a walk, while Salvatore drew three walks in the wild second.

“We played really well,” Donnenwirth said. “We were hitting really well, hitting strong, and taking a decent amount of walks ... and then cashing in on some big hits.”

The big swing of the bat came from freshman Madyson Jade Quintanilla, who stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and drilled a line drive over the fence in right-center for a grand slam home run. The Semans sisters also enjoyed an epic afternoon, combining to go 5 for 6, with senior Shiloh Semans totaling two doubles and five RBIs, while sophomore Sydney Semans totaled three hits and two RBIs.

The Semans sisters, who have worked as battery mates all season, also settled things down on defense. Starting pitcher Sydney Semans earned the win, allowing one run on two hits through three innings of work, commanding six groundouts and two strikeouts.

South City now advances to the CCS softball semifinals for the first time in program history. The Warriors will take on No. 3 Soledad at MacDonald High School in San Jose. Wednesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.