The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
The College of San Mateo Bulldogs have been getting hits when they count.
Austin Harris
When sophomore baseball designated hitter Austin Harris returned to the lineup Saturday, the Bulldogs had yet to hit a home run through their first four games of the season. Not that it has had an effect on the team’s record, as CSM entered play riding a four-game winning streak to start the season.
Harris and the Bulldogs made it five straight, as the sophomore connected for a two-run home run in the first, the first of his collegiate career, to power a 6-5 victory at Merced College. CSM’s (5-0) fifth straight win capped a two-game series sweep of Merced (0-4).
CSM is batting just .238 as a team, but totaled nine hits Saturday and never trailed in the game. Joseph Hoskins singled home a run in the second to cap a two-run rally, giving the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead. After Merced got on the board in the fourth, CSM answered with two runs in the top of the fifth with RBIs from Lucas Schumaker and Gianni Conte to make it 6-1.
Andrew Orozco clubbed a three-run home run for Merced in the sixth, and Solomon Ali singled home a run in the seventh. But freshman right-hander Elliot Webb emerged in relief to strand the tying runner on base, and close it out with three scoreless frames to earn the save.
Ali led all batters with three hits, while Harris and Conte totaled two hits apiece for the Bulldogs.
Harris was limited to just seven games last season, but registered five multi-hit games while batting .462 (11 for 26) with seven RBIs. He is currently 2 for 6 through two games, including one pinch-hitting appearance, this year.
