Raiders rally with 13 runs in 2 innings to beat Oakdale, advance to section final
For the first three innings in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV softball semifinals between No. 2 Central Catholic and No. 3 Oakdale, the Raiders’ offense couldn’t capitalize on its chances.
The Raiders had runners on second and third in the second inning and put runners in scoring position in the third but came away with just one total run.
Then it clicked. A triple started the late rally and the floodgates opened for one of the most explosive offenses in the Sac-Joaquin Section.
By the time freshman pitcher Sophia Santillan struck out the final batter of the game, the Raiders forced a pitching change, scored 13 runs in two innings and turned what looked like a game that would surely go the Mustangs’ way into a blowout win.
For Central Catholic’s opponents, when it rains, it pours.
“We’ve done it all year,” head coach Sam Nichols said, “Obviously it’s not how we want to win, but we’ve come back from five-, six-, seven-run deficits all year. A lot of it is self-inflicted and not playing catch. But our mantra before the postseason started was, ‘Just stay with it.’”
The Raiders turned a six-run deficit into a five-run win in two innings, beating their Valley Oak League rival for a third time this season and securing a spot in their fifth straight Sac-Joaquin Section championship game with a 16-9 win.
“This team is awesome because they make adjustments,” Nichols said. “They weren’t trying to do too much and we let the ball get to a good contact point and started driving it to opposite field. My hat’s off to the girls for making a huge adjustment after the first time around.”
Santillan entered in relief in the second inning and secured the final two outs of the frame.
In 5.2 innings, she struck out six batters, gave up five hits, five runs and four earned runs but got out of innings without allowing the Mustangs to break the game completely open.
While the Raiders were making their comeback, Santillan surrendered two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth. After Oakdale scored its final run of the fifth inning, Santillan did not allow a baserunner, retiring the final eight Mustangs in order.
“When I’m in the dugout and (Nichols) asks me if I’m ready, I just think to myself, I need to prove what I’m capable of and what I can do,” Santillan said.
Central Catholic entered Tuesday’s contest with a 10-4 record since the start of April. In nine of those 10 wins, they scored 10 or more runs.
The semifinal added one more to the total.
Oakdale struck first, quickly grabbing momentum with four runs in the second inning alone. Sophomore Katee Conde broke the game open with a three-run home run. Central Catholic answered with a run in the bottom of the third, but Oakdale outscored the Raiders 5-2 through the next inning and a half.
Then the Raiders’ offense woke up.
Trailing 9-3, freshman Brea Hart started the bottom of the fifth inning with a triple. Paige Perry drove her in with a single, Brooklyn Marquez hit an RBI double, and University of Arkansas Pine Bluff-bound Amaya Gustavis walked. With two outs in the inning, Carsyn Lomeli-Garcia and Florida commit Samantha Nichols each drove in runs with singles to pull the Raiders within one, 9-8.
After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth that included a pair of Santillan strikeouts, the Raiders were back at the plate. Perry and Marquez singled to kick off the frame and Gustavis tied the game with an RBI single.
“It’s really encouraging,” Perry said. “If we get down, we know we can come back and be ready.”
Then the rout was on.
An RBI double by Ceriah Fitzhugh, an RBI triple by Lomeli-Garcia, a Nichols RBI single and a two-run home run by Sacramento State signee Madie Harrison were part of a sixth inning in which the Raiders brought 13 batters to the plate, scored eight runs and put the game out of the Mustangs’ reach for good.
Eight Raiders had a multi-hit game, led by Perry, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with five singles and drove in a run. Just a sophomore, Perry is third on the team in batting average (.423) and top five in hits and runs scored. She has struck out only three times this season in 109 plate appearances and 94 at-bats.
“My mentality for every game is just get in the box and keep doing what I’m doing,” Perry said. “I talk about keeping my shoulder in and not having bad things go through my mind. I’m always just, like, hit up the middle, hit up the middle, and it just happens.”
Nichols and Marquez went 4-for-5, Fitzhugh doubled twice and the Raiders finished the game with seven extra base hits and a season high 23 total hits.
The Raiders will play for the Sac-Joaquin Section title for the fifth straight season, but they are 0-4 in their previous trips.
They will be the designated home team as the higher seed at Cosumnes River College on Saturday at 1 p.m. after the No. 1 seed Pioneer was upset 8-5 in extra innings by No. 5 Will C. Wood of Vacaville.
“Coach Sam’s like, we need to have pitching, hitting and defense all unlock one game, and hopefully this Saturday will be that game,” Perry said.
