SOFTBALL: Knights Streak into Showdown with Mitty

UPDATE: The date and site of Hillsdale's semfinal has been changed. The Knights play at Mitty on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

With an opportunity to return the Central Coast Section semifinals for a second straight year, the Hillsdale High softball team left nothing to chance in a 9-1 thrashing of Burlingame in a Division II quarterfinal on Saturday morning at Hawes Field in Redwood City.

Now Hillsdale (24-5) faces one of the biggest challenges in recent program history when the Knights play perennial power Mitty (24-2) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at PAL Stadium in San Jose.

Top-seeded Mitty, which defeated Live Oak 4-0 on Saturday, has won five Division II titles in the last six years.

Fourth-seeded Hillsdale, however, looks to be capable of giving Mitty all it can handle after a strong showing against Burlingame in the fourth meeting between the two teams.

Memphis-bound pitching standout Jordan Richwood (23-5) tossed a four-hitter. She struck out 13 batters and allowed two walks and one unearned run.

“Jordan is Jordan,” Hillsdale assistant coach Michelle Zalba said. “She’s a great pitcher and she’s so calm every time she goes out on that (circle).”

No. 12 seed Burlingame (12-17) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Nicki Lunghi led off the game with a single to right, took second on Dana Lenardon’s sacrifice and scored on an error.

That lead didn’t last long though, as Hillsdale’s Kristin Petrini hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first to spark a four-run inning.

The Knights broke the game open in a three-run third, when Petrini, Lindsey Neilson and Ashley Izumi each had run-scoring singles.

“We talked to them about coming out strong in the first inning to set the tone and that’s what they did,” Zalba said.

Burlingame lost 1-0 to Hillsdale during a non-league tournament in March. Hillsdale defeated Burlingame by 7-0 and 3-0 margins in Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division play.

The Panthers were coming off an 11-0 upset over No. 5 Monterey in the first round.

“They played us tough every time,” Zalba said. “They’re definitely a tough team, but our girls came out with their bats today.”

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Hillsdale 9, Burlingame 1

B -- 100 000 0 – 1 4 1

H -- 403 011 x – 9 13 1

WP: Richwood (23-5). LP:  Christmann (7-9).

HR: Tyler, Patrini (H). 3 hits: Richwood (H). 2 hits: Tyler, Petrini, Izumi, Cho (H). 4 RBI: Petrini (H).

Records: Hillsdale 24-5. Burlingame 12-17.