SOFTBALL: Improving Bearcats Fall in CCS Opener

The San Mateo High softball team led for three innings before falling to Aptos 7-3 in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs at Watsonville High on Wednesday.

“I thought if we could hang with them, anybody could beat anybody,” San Mateo coach Randy Boardman said.

Starting pitcher Bailey Sutton had been stellar for the No. 11-seed Bearcats all season but did not have her best against sixth-seeded Aptos (22-4).

“They hit a lot of hard-(hit) balls,” Boardman said. “It wasn’t her best effort.”

Sutton, on Tuesday, entered the game with a 0.67 ERA in 18 games, having not allowing more than three earned runs in any start and no earned runs since April 29.

Despite the loss, there was room for optimism.

“We hung with a good team; I told them that,” Boardman said. “I think we made the school proud.”

San Mateo (14-5) grabbed the outright PAL Ocean title for the first time in school history, a year after sharing the championship with Woodside and Sequoia.

It was also the second consecutive year of reaching the CCS playoffs for the Bearcats. San Mateo had never reached CCS before last season.

And the future is bright for San Mateo.

In addition to Sutton, the Bearcats will return several talented players. Shannon Wischer took a .370 average into the playoffs, Karyn Jacobs was hitting .346 and Tayler Titus .311.

Boardman brought up four players from junior varsity to share in the experience of the postseason.

“It was good for them to see (CCS),” Boardman said.