The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
Nia Mapa blasted a two-run homer to give College of San Mateo a 12-4 mercy-rule, softball victory in five innings over rival West Valley College Thursday to all but wrap up another Coast Conference title.
Nia Mapa
The win also extended San Mateo’s winning streak to 48 games, which dates to last year. It’s been a year since the Bulldogs last lost — a 4-3, eight-inning decision to West Valley April 3, 2025.
West Valley (28-3, 7-2 Coast Conference) is ranked No. 2 in Northern California and No. 3 in the state behind CSM (32-0, 9-0). And the Vikings provided an early threat in Thursday’s game at CSM. West Valley took a 4-2 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning before the state-leading Bulldogs offense took charge in the bottom of the frame.
Love Cabanas homered to make it 4-3. Selena Gonzales tied it, coming home on a wild pitch, with Peyton Huber advancing to third. Katie Johnson walked, with the bases loaded, to bring home Huber with the go-ahead run.
Mapa was then hit by a pitch to score Lilyana Williams from third and CSM led 6-4 after four innings.
CSM was determined to end it in the fifth, with the eight-run rule margin, taking advantage of five Vikings errors. Singles by pinch hitter Kaylee Poulos and Selena Gonzales started things.
Huber then reached on an error, which brought home Poulos, and then stole second. A catcher error allowed both Gonzales and Huber to score. Alyssa Green singled and Janelle Ramirez came in to pinch run. Ramirez responded by stealing second and advancing to third on a single by Ale Phillips, and then stole home for a run.
Mapa’s two-run blast, also bringing home Phillips, ended it.
San Mateo had three homers in the game. Williams started the barrage in the third inning. CSM is slugging .720 and has 64 home runs to lead the state — 22 more than Antelope Valley in the second position. CSM also leads in extra base hits, with 129. Mapa paces Northern California with 14 homers, just ahead of Johnson, with 12.
Lola Sierra pitched the first four innings to remain unbeaten and claim her NorCal leading 18th victory, which is the second-most in the state. Mapa pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief. Mapa, with a 1.37 ERA, and Sierra (1.52) rank No. 3 & No. 5 in state ERA.
CSM now has a two-game lead over West Valley, with five league games remaining, and has swept the home-and-home series with the Vikings. Hartnell (26-8, 6-3) is three games back and still has one game with the Bulldogs.
