Although the weather was indeed poor, a pair of College of San Mateo women sports teams ran past their opposition on Saturday. The CSM women’s softball team recorded a pair of mercy victories in the rain, by a combined score of 26-1.

Between those rain delayed games, the basketball team easily downed visiting Las Positas College, 76-49, at College Heights Gymnasium — behind a 20-point performance by center Venus-Miari Pascua. The Bulldogs had a 2-0 week, also defeating visiting Ohlone College, 60-50, behind a season-best 22 scoring performance by Jillian David.

CSM basketball, 4-4 in Coast North play and 17-8 overall, completes regular-season play with games at league-leading City College of San Francisco on Friday and against visiting Chabot College on February 15.

The San Mateo softball team, which hosted Santa Rosa and Shasta Saturday, started with a 9-0 blanking of Santa Rosa, which ended on a two-run double by Michelle Hara in the sixth inning to provide the eight-run mercy margin.

Returning state women’s athlete of the year Lafulafu Malepeai had a triple and a double. Pitcher Siona Halwani allowed just two hits over five innings to gain her third win of the young season.

It took more than three hours, with some shower delays, for Santa Rosa to defeat Shasta, 8-3, in the second game – while the basketball game was taking place at the nearby gym.

The synthetic turf did its job, however, in allowing for all three games to be completed despite the dicey weather. Shasta, which had made the long trip from snowbound Redding, was just happy to get on the damp turf field.

CSM finally took on Shasta at 3:36 p.m. – and Malepeai led off with a home run and Megan Barstad grand slam was the big hit in the opening 11-run frame. CSM scored five more runs in the second inning, taking a 17-1 victory in just five mercy innings. Hailey Meisenbach also homered and doubled in the game. Liz Evans allowed just one hit in 4 1/3 innings to get her first decision of the year.

Malepeai went 2-for-2 in the game and had four hits on the day to raise her batting average to .667 and slugging percentage to 1.278 (No 8 on the early state statistics). She leads the state with six stolen bases and 10 runs scored and ranks No. 2 with 12 hits (one shy of the state lead). CSM stole seven bases against the Knights (two by Isabella Cowne) and had nine for the day – for a state-leading team total of 25 already this season.

Gabby Perez had three hits and three RBIs (ranking No. 2 in the state with 10) and is batting .500. Hara now has four doubles this season, just one short of the state lead.

San Mateo leads the state with a .642 slugging average, 57 runs scored, 51 RBIs, 16 doubles, and 26 bases on balls. The Bulldogs pace Northern California with a .420 batting average.

UP NEXT: CSM, ranked No. 1 in the state preseason poll, took on Merced College Tuesday for a doubleheader, then hosts another tripleheader on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. with 2022 state finalist rival and preseason No. 5 Sierra College (currently 5-0) at 10 a.m. Also in the mix: College of the Siskiyous.

CSM BASEBALL TOPS MERCED 5-3, REMAINS UNDEFEATED ON SEASON

Keoni Coloma had a pair of hits, scored the winning run, and stole two bases as the unbeaten College of San Mateo baseball team took a 5-3 victory at Merced College on Saturday. Karl Peters singled home Coloma in the sixth inning for a 4-2 lead and later scored the final Bulldogs run on a single by AJ Carter.

San Mateo (4-0) is the only remaining unbeaten Coast Conference team and is tied for the third best record in the state. Only a half dozen of the state’s 87 community college teams have perfect records after two weekends of 2023 play. Merced is 3-2.

Cañada College and Skyline College both had their Saturday games postponed by rain.