The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
Fifteen up. Fifteen down.
Gianna Tassio
College of San Mateo sophomore Gianna Tassio fired an abbreviated five-inning perfect game to lead the Bulldogs (5-0 Coast, 26-0 overall) to an 8-0 softball victory Saturday at Hartnell College. Undefeated CSM has now won 26 straight games to start the season. The program’s overall win streak dating back to last season is at 42 games.
Tassio stepped into the circle Saturday with a 5-0 lead, after the Bulldogs sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the first. Sophomore Nia Mapa sparked the rally with a two-out single. After an error and a Hannah Ames single loaded the bases, freshman Janelle Ramirez cashed in with a three-run double. Freshman Peyton Huber then connected for a two-run home run.
Then Tassio went to work. The sophomore out of Terra Nova didn’t allow a ball out of the infield until the fourth inning, and went on to record five strikeouts and seven groundouts. The Bulldogs added three runs in the second; Mapa produced an RBI double, followed by RBI singles from Love Cabanas and Huber.
Huber was 3 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs on the day, and added two infield assists at shortstop. Tassio closed out the mercy-rule win in the bottom of the fifth with a groundout to the freshman.
Hartnell (3-2, 23-7) entered the day hitting .314 as a team.
With the win, Tassio improves to 5-0 on the season. The win is her first since Feb. 13 against College of the Redwoods. At the time, the Redwoods win was Tassio’s fourth straight winning appearance. She then registered six straight relief appearances without a decision prior to Saturday’s start.
CSM entered last Thursday the top pitching staff in the state, with a California Community College Athletic Association-best 1.40 ERA. That mark will improve as the Bulldogs recorded back-to-back shutouts, including an 11-0 victory last Thursday at Ohlone. Freshman left-hander Lola Sierra leads the squad with a 14-0 record and a 1.21 ERA. Mapa is 6-0 with a 1.70 ERA.
