The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
College of San Mateo sophomore Vanessa Lang enjoyed quite a reprieve in Thursday’s softball doubleheader split against San Joaquin Delta in San Mateo.
Vanessa Lang
The Lady Bulldogs (28-3) dropped the first game of the twin bill 2-1. Lang had a golden opportunity to turn that deficit around when she opened the sixth inning with a double, only to run into an out when she got hung out to dry between second and third. When she stepped to the plate in seventh inning of the doubleheader nightcap, with two on and two out, and CSM trailing 4-2, Lang delivered a two-run double to send the game to extra innings.
CSM went on to win 6-5 in a back-and-forth, 11-inning battle. With international tiebreaker rules in effect, Delta (24-2) took the lead back in the top of the 10th. But the Bulldogs answered when Megan Barstad grounded out to advance the runner from second, and Luda Gumataotao lifted a sacrifice fly to tie it at 5-all. Then in the 11th, Emma Kinder singled home Izzy Cowne for the walk-off win.
Lang finished the game 2 for 5 with an RBI, and went 4 for 8 with two doubles on the afternoon. Kinder was 3 for 5 with the game-winning RBI in Game 2.
Siona Halwani
Starting pitcher Siona Halwani went the distance in Game 2, allowing five runs (three earned) on nine hits through 11 innings of work. Her record improves to 11-1. In Game 1, starting pitcher Kennedie Magorian took the loss, recording a complete game with two runs on four hits and three walks, while striking out six. She falls to 10-2.
Delta leadoff hitter Caitlynn Campbell was a thorn in the side of CSM pitching, going 5 for 9 with two home run on the day, one homer per game.
The non-conference matchup was CSM’s first game action in a week. The Bulldogs return to the field next Tuesday, hosting Cabrillo in a Coast Conference North matchup at 3 p.m.
