Robinson's Clutch Hit Spurs Warriors Comeback Victory over San Mateo

WALNUT, Calif. – Kassidy Robinson stepped up and hit a clutch two-run single in the fifth inning that put No. 4S El Camino College ahead for good en route to a 5-4 victory over No. 1N College of San Mateo Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the 2018 California Community College Softball State Championships at Mount San Antonio College.

The Warriors (36-10) pulled off the upset after trailing for the first half of the ballgame. Robinson was one of three Warriors with a two-hit game on Thursday. Karla Calderon and Alyssa Wing also had two hits on the day.

Maisie Weishoff picked up the win in relief for the Warriors, tossing four innings of one-run softball to keep the Bulldogs' (39-5) potent offense quiet for the second half of the game. Weishoff stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the victory for the Warriors.

With the win, the Warriors will head to the winner's bracket and face No. 2S and hosts Mt. SAC, who defeated No. 3N Ohlone 2-1 in the first game of the day.

The game started off roughly for the Warriors as the wind wreaked havoc with balls hit to the outfield in the first inning. Allie Stines and Lauren Quirke led off with singles to left and then, following a fly out to left, Mackenzie Driscoll got a ball up into the wind and Robinson had the ball sail over her head for a two-run double, putting the Bulldogs up early.

The Warriors got one of those runs back in the second inning after Robinson led off the frame with a double to the left-field gap. She advanced to third on a groundout and would score on Jasmine Krauss' groundout to second base, trimming the deficit in half.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth when the Bulldogs came up with one more run on a two-out single by Leaness Donn to make it 3-1.

In the fifth, the Warriors made their comeback. Wing started things off with a single and then, with one out, Calderon reached on an infield single to put the tying run on base. Annie Adamos then worked a walk to load the bases but Ashley Machado flied out for the second out.

Pinch-hitter Helaina Gallardo came through with two outs, drawing a walk to force in a run and make it 3-2. Robinson then came to the plate and came through, smashing the first pitch she saw into the outfield for a two-run single to put the Warriors up 4-3.

An RBI groundout in the sixth inning from Adamos made it 5-3, and that proved to be a crucial run as the Bulldogs scored in their half of the sixth with an RBI single from pinch-hitter Madeline Morris.

In the seventh, Weishoff got Stines to fly out to center for the first out of the inning but Quirke singled and then Gabriella Zucchiatti followed with a base hit through the right side to put the potential game-winning run on base. Driscoll popped up to first for the second out and then Weishoff got Aubrie Businger to hit a slow roller to second. The runner hopped over the ball, disrupting Alena De La Torre's timing just enough to get her to bobble the ball and the runner reached first safely on the error to load the bases.

But Weishoff came right back and got Lexi Riccardi to pop up to Diamond Lewis at third base for the final out to clinch the win for ECC and a date with the Mounties Friday at 11 a.m.