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Sports

SOFTBALL: CSM Moves Closer to Conference Title

Bulldogs use small ball to top Mission 4-0 in home finale; CSM moves within two wins of Coast crown.

The Score: CSM 4, Mission 0.

The Star: College of San Mateo center fielder Annabel Hertz went 2-for-3 with an RBI, three stolen bases and a run to lead the Coast-North-leading hosts to the conference victory on Tuesday afternoon. The freshman bunted for both hits, including a crucial single in the fifth inning which sparked the first run of the game. After getting on base, Hertz stole second with ease. She later stole third and scored following an error on the play. “I knew I was gonna make it safely to second because I had a good jump and the catcher didn’t really have an arm,” said Hertz. “When coach asked me to steal again, she signaled to slide into the inside of the bag because she wanted me to get in the way of the ball and the shortstop. It worked perfectly! The ball hit my knee and went into the outfield, so it was easy for me to run home.”

The Turning Point: Hertz’s small ball and impeccable base-running ignited a CSM team that had been ice cold at the plate. The Bulldogs put up three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth (driven in by Hertz’s bunt single), securing their third straight win.

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The Quote: “We didn’t win today like we should have had. We won with small ball. At the end of the day, it’s another win in the book and one step closer to that championship.” – CSM center fielder Annabel Hertz.

What’s Next? First-place CSM visits Chabot on Thursday at 3 p.m. and then plays at Ohlone next Tuesday at 3 p.m. If the Bulldogs secure wins in both games, they will win their first Coast Conference championship since 2007.

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The Bottom Line: Despite only going 6-for-25 at the plate, CSM (26-9, 12-2 Coast-North) managed to manufacture runs by laying the bunt down and running intelligently. After putting up a combined 28 runs against Foothill and CCSF, the Bulldogs found a way to win a much-needed conference game.

Notes: CSM starter Alyssa Jepsen (14-4) pitched a one-hitter through six innings against Mission (3-13, 4-20). …  Callie Pacheco, a Half Moon Bay High alum, came in relief, tossing two strikeouts in the seventh. … Mills grad Samantha Pacheco (0-for-3) saw her streak of nine straight hits end. In the previous two games, the first baseman went a combined 8-for-8 with a walk, eight runs and five RBIs. … The Bulldogs will play their regular-season finale in Fremont against second-place Ohlone. On April 2, CSM took the game to extra innings, edging the Renegades in the eighth with Samantha Pacheco’s walk-off home run for a 9-8 home win.

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College of San Mateo 4, Mission College 0

M – 000 000 0 – 0 1 2

CSM – 000 031 x – 4 6 0

WP: Jepsen (14-4). LP: Trujillo (4-20)

2 hits: Hertz (CSM). RBI: Jepsen (CSM), Hertz (CSM).

Records: CSM 26-9, 12-2 Coast-North. Mission 3-13, 4-20.

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