NCS softball playoffs: Top-notch pitching takes Antioch, Alameda to quarterfinals
Division II
Tuesday’s first round
No. 13 Antioch 4, No. 4 Petaluma 0
Senior pitcher Kaileen Sepulveda threw two-hitter and struck out five in a dominant performance to upset No. 4 Petaluma (17-7) on the road.
This shutout lowered the senior’s earned run average to 2.53, and it was the 10th time this season that Sepulveda had not allowed an earned run.
Shortstop Apollonia Maldonado had two hits and two RBIs for the Panthers (14-13). Antioch had lost to Freedom in the Bay Valley Athletic League playoffs the previous week.
Alexia Nasty had three hits and drove in one run for Antioch, which will travel to No. 5 Livermore on Friday at 5 p.m.
No. 9 Northgate 12, No. 8 Marin Catholic 3
Ninth-ranked Northgate trailed 2-1 entering the fifth inning, but the visiting Broncos put up five runs in the fifth and the sixth innings to blow the game open. Makenna Choi, who will represent South Korea in the summer, batted 2 for 4 with a double, a triple and a whopping six RBIs. Katelyn Takahashi batted 3 for 5 and Taelyn Jriyasetapong went 4 for 4 as Northgate (15-4) totaled 14 hits against Marin Catholic (15-7). Northgate will travel to Redwood for a 5 p.m. game on Friday.
No. 5 Livermore 12, No. 12 Windsor 8
No. 5 Livermore scored in every inning as the Cowboys advanced to a second-round matchup against No. 13 Antioch. Junior Jae Cosgriff was 2 for 3 with a solo home run, and Livermore (13-11) teammate Anne Polaski also hit a one-run homer. Sophomore pitcher Savanna Froke and freshman Kaci Norton combined for the Livermore win over Windsor (14-10). Livermore will host Antioch at 5 p.m. on Friday.
No. 2 Casa Grande 7, No. 15 Las Lomas 1
The second seed in Division II got four extra-base hits against No. 15 Las Lomas, with Casa Grande advancing to a second-round home game against American Canyon. Abby McSweeney hit a home run, and Lauren Ketchu and Marissa Brody hit triples for Casa Grande (22-4). Las Lomas (9-14-1) freshman Angelina Cagiga had two hits and an RBI.
American Canyon 14, Alhambra 7
No. 10 Alhambra may have lost, but the Martinez school went down swinging at No. 7 American Canyon. Alhambra (11-13-1) had 11 hits and also walked four times. Senior Kyomi Apalit batted 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Samantha Schuler drove in two runs too. Sophomore Mia Brady had three hits and also scored two runs against American Canyon (14-10), which will advance to play at Casa Grande.
No. 3 Alameda 9, No. 14 Carondelet 0
On a night filled with great pitching performances, perhaps none were as impressive as the gem Alameda’s Jasmine Whorley tossed in No. 3 Alameda’s 9-0 shutout. Whorley threw a complete game and struck out 16 on 107 pitches for the Hornets (17-4). Senior Ashlie Nakano and freshman Leaira Robinson each drove in three runs. Alameda will host No. 6 Benicia at 5 p.m. on Friday.
No. 6 Benicia 9, No. 11 Newark Memorial 5
No. 6 Benicia scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away from No. 11 Newark Memorial in the first round of the Division II playoffs. Senior Braxton Brown hit a home run and had four RBIs, and sophomores Ava Rojas and Emma French each had two RBIs for Benicia (14-9-1). Andrea Tall hit a home run for the Newark-Memorial (13-11). Benicia will travel to Alameda on Friday for a 5 p.m. game.
Division III
Tuesday’s first round
No. 2 Maria Carrillo 21, No. 15 Campolindo 0
The No. 2 seed scored all 21 runs in the first two innings as it run-ruled Campolindo in five innings. Campo (6-11) was tagged with 14 errors but accrued zero hits as nothing went right for the Cougars. Maria Carrillo (16-4) freshman Whitney Cia batted 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Maria Carrillo will host No. 10 Encinal on Friday at 5 p.m.
No. 10 Encinal 4, No. 7 Acalanes 3
Encinal held on for the victory after Acalanes got a runner in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Pitcher Celeste Hurtubise pitched the complete game, striking out 10 and allowing just one earned run. Encinal (13-10) second baseman Jazzy Alcantar had two hits, and centerfielder Sherrielyn Ferrer collected three hits. Acalanes (12-9) catcher Esa Orman had two RBIs. Encinal will travel to Maria Carrillo for a Friday game at 5 p.m.
No. 3 Moreau Catholic 16, No. 14 Mt. Diablo 0
The third-seeded Mariners run-ruled No. 14 Mt. Diablo in five innings as senior Emma Murchison hit a home run and freshman Naomi Chen had three RBIs to lead the Moreau Catholic (13-2-1) offense in the rout. Alysia Elizarrey had two RBIs and also struck out 10 Mt. Diablo (12-5) batters in five innings. Moreau Catholic will host a playoff game on Friday.
Division IV
Tuesday’s first round
No. 9 Swett 6, No. 8 Kelseyville 4
No. 9 Swett traveled 100 miles north to Kelseyville and came out victorious. A team that stole 350 bases in the regular season, No. 8 Kelseyville (8-13) held Swett (15-4) to ‘only’ seven steals. Kailea Barte had three of those SBs while also getting two hits and scoring two runs. Sophomore Rebekah Millan had two RBIs while also striking out seven as a pitcher. Swett will travel to No. 1 Cardinal Newman for a Friday game at 5 p.m.
No. 4 Fortuna 28, No. 13 Hercules 2
The bottom fell out from underneath No. 13 Hercules in the second inning, Fortuna scoring 18 — yes, eighteen — runs to blow the game open. Fortuna (12-10) had six players drive in at least two RBIs, Libby Johnston leading the way with five against Hercules (10-14). Fortuna will host No. 5 Hoopa Valley at 5 p.m. on Friday.
No. 5 Hoopa Valley 10, No. 5 Kennedy-Richmond 0
No. 5 Hoopa Valley’s Jewely Bibancos narrowly missed out on hitting for the cycle in a five-inning game, getting a single, triple and a home run in the 10-0 victory. Kennedy-Richmond (8-5) could only muster a single hit against Tatianna Ray, whose Hoopa Valley (19-3) team will play at No. 4 Fortuna in the next round.
No. 7 St. Patrick-St. Vincent 8, No. 10 Lick-Wilmerding 6
With the game tied at six apiece heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, SPSV scored two runs in the frame to secure a trip to the quarterfinals. Senior Izabelle Silva went off against Lick-Wilmerding (9-4), hitting two home runs and totaling six RBIs while also scoring three runs. SPSV will play at No. 2 Del Norte at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
No. 6 Fort Bragg 6, No. 11 Piedmont 1
Morgan Hunt and Angelina Wu each had a hit, but No. 6 Piedmont (4-13-1) could not muster any more offense as host No. 6 Fort Bragg’s senior pitcher Cassiti Baroni struck out 14. Fort Bragg (13-6) will play at No. 3 Salesian at 5 p.m. on Friday.