Lady Bulldogs Set to Open Conference Play in Softball

By Fred Baer, CSM Sports Information Director

Northern California top-ranked College of San Mateo opened Coast North Conference women’s softball play Wednesday with a 21-0 victory over host Chabot College in Hayward.

That follows a four-game weekend sweep that extended the state’s best won-loss record to 15-1.

CSM is also ranked No. 2 among the state’s 85 community college teams. 

Michele Pilster, the state’s winningest pitcher and strikeout leader, increased her pacesetting won-loss mark to 12-1 with Saturday’s twin wins over College of the Redwoods, 13-2 (5 innings), and American River College, 7-6 (8 innings) and Wednesday's five-inning no-hitter.            

The Capuchino High grad struck out 10 batters in Saturday’s games, bringing her season total to 75 (an average of nearly one per inning). The sophomore also led the state in innings pitched, 71, after hurling a pacesetting eighth complete game Saturday against ARC. She also has a conference-leading 1.68 earned run average.

Pilster was named the Northern California Pitcher of the Week as a result of her efforts last week.

On Friday, San Mateo swept a pair from 2012 state runner-up College of the Siskiyous, 8-0 and 3-0. The Bulldogs then ran past Redwoods on Saturday morning before having a bit more trouble with American River.             

After taking a 1-0 lead through three innings against American River, the Bulldogs had to comeback from a 5-3 deficit to win in eight innings. Pinchhitter Kristin Petrini (Hillsdale) got the walkoff hit, a line drive to the right center fence that drove in Jenn Davidson (Carlmont).

Davidson had led off the inning with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Aracely Osuna (Hillsdale). 

CSM went ahead, 6-5, in the sixth on a home run by Pilster, which sailed over the centerfield femce.

American River stayed alive with a single run in the seventh to send it to extra innings.

Pilster went 3-for-3 with two RBI and scored a pair of runs in the game. She had four hits and four RBI for the day to raise her season batting average to .393.

HITTING LEADERS:

Entering conference play, CSM catcher Jamie Navarro (Capuchino) has 16 RBI and infielder Talisa Fiame (Terra Nova) has 14 to rank 1-2 in the Coast North. In stolen bases, Selina Rodriguez (El Camino), 7, and Kaylin Stewart (Hillsdale), 6, are the pacesetters. Rodriguez is San Mateo ’s top hitter at .422 (and has three triples), followed by Pilster and then Stewart (.385, including four doubles), Navarro (.378, including two home runs), and Davidson (.368).                

-- First home conference game is against Foothill (9-4) on Thursday at 3 p.m.