No. 3 Concord 5 , No. 14 Las Lomas 1
Records: Concord 21-3, Las Lomas 12-8
The Star: Concord senior Kaitlyn Randall throws a complete-game win with 11 strikeouts.
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The Turning Point: Bottom third, Concord sophomore Sophia Benipayo rips a 2-run double, giving the Minutemen a 4-0 lead.
The Quote: "We came out really shaky and anxious," Las Lomas senior pitcher Hannah Port said. "(Concord) took command at the plate and you can't make mistakes against them."
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Who's Next?: End of Las Lomas season. Concord will host No. 6 Petaluma at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The Bottom Line: Las Lomas ace pitcher Hannah Port held off one of the East Bay's best offenses early, but in the third inning, Concord began to flash its base running speed and turned Las Lomas defensive mistakes into game-changing runs.
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Las Lomas senior ace Hannah Port fooled East Bay hitters all season with a variety of pitches she proudly calls "junk."
But in the opening round of North Coast Section Division II playoffs, Concord found a way to clean up the mess.
The third-seeded Minutemen mixed speedy base running with well-placed hits to eliminate fourteenth-seeded Las Lomas with a 5-1 win in Concord.
Concord will host sixth-seeded Petaluma in a quarterfinal on Saturday at 2 pm.
"We came out really shaky and anxious," Port said. "(Concord) took command at the plate and you can't make mistakes against them."
Port struck out two of the first three batters she faced, but Concord solved Port's puzzle in the second inning by taking control of the base paths. Sophia Benipayo scored on a passed ball and Taylor Vanmotman laid down a run-scoring bunt.
"(Port) was outstanding, but we let her down by giving them runs," Las Lomas coach Michael McEwen said. "She was dealing, but they're one of the best teams in the state, so I can't complain with how she pitched."
Concord's lead ballooned to 5-0 in the third after Benipayo added a two-run double and Danielle Barberio grounded in a run.
That was all the breathing room Minuteman pitcher Kaitlyn Randall needed as she finished complete-game six-hitter with 11 strikeouts.
In her final high school game, Port took the loss, but still pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts.
Port's been a workhorse for the Knights this season, throwing 13 complete games.
"She's like the Greg Maddux of softball," McEwen joked. "She gets the job done, locates pitches well and eats up lesser batters like they're nothing."
"I'm definitely a junk ball pitcher," Port said. "I like the mental aspect more than the actual pitching aspect."
This fall, Port will graduate on to Kenyon College in Ohio as one of the most accomplished pitchers in Las Lomas history. She pitched a perfect game on April 27 and a no-hitter on May 20, both against Miramonte.
"Those are highlights in my mind, but I watched my young teammates grow and step up this season," Port said. "They don't even look like the same players now. They're ready to take on tough competition next year."
McEwen will miss her.
"Hannah definitely came into her own this year and she was a lot of fun to watch," he said. "We'll see where we are without her next year."
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No. 3 Concord 5, No. 14 Las Lomas 1
Las Lomas 000 100 0— 1 6 2
Concord 023 000 0 — 5 6 1
Las Lomas (ab-H-R)— Vanderson 4-0-1, Barley 3-0-1, Peacock 3-1-1, Port 3-0-2, Boord 3-0-0, Humphrey 3-0-0, Cundy 3-0-1, Gendron 3-0-1, Flor 3-0-1.
Concord — Hasson 3-0-0, A. Benipayo 2-0-1, Mayorga 3-1-1, Elder 3-1-0, S. Benipayo 3-2-3, Santos 3-1-1, Barberio 3-0-0, Vanmotman 3-0-1, Babin 2-0-0, Edmondson 2-0-1, Hotting 1-0-0, Howard 1-0-0.
Pitching
Las Lomas — Port (W) CG, 7 IP, 5 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 8 K
Concord — Randall (W) CG, 1 R, 6 H, BB, 11 K
Hitting
2B — S. Benipayo (C), Peacock (LL). 3B — Flor (LL). RBI – S. Benipayo (C) 3, Vantoman (C), Barberio (C), Boord (LL).
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