No. 10 Ohlone sweeps No. 7 Sequoias to advance in NorCal Playoffs

VISALIA – The Ohlone College softball team's postseason run continues after the No. 10-seeded Renegades upset No. 7 College of the Sequoias, sweeping the Giants on their home field in Round 1 of the Northern California Regional Playoffs.

Ohlone opened the series on Friday with an 8-4 victory and closed out the series win by rallying late to beat COS by a final score of 7-6 in Game 2 on Saturday. With the wins, the Renegades improved to 21-18 overall.

Game 1: Ohlone 8, Sequoias 4
Emma Ham and Sierra Pasco smashed home runs while Ohlone put up seven runs over the first three innings to cruise to an 8-4 victory to open the series.

Ham set the tone with a solo shot in the top of the first while Pasco's two-run bomb in the third gave Ohlone a commanding 7-1 lead. Jordan Greer drove in three runs with a bases-clearing double as part of a four-run rally for the Renegades in the second inning.

Ham was also solid in the circle. She earned the complete-game victory to improve to 14-7 overall after allowing two earned runs and eight hits.

Game 2: Ohlone 7, Sequoias 6
The Renegades erased a 6-2 deficit by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth (Ohlone was the designated home team) and recorded the game-winning run in the sixth on their way to the 7-6 win to close out the series and end Central Valley Conference champion Sequoias' season.

Pasco launched her second home run of the series, a two-run shot in the bottom of the first to give the Renegades an early 2-0 lead.

COS got on the board with a run in the third and exploded for five runs in the fourth to take the four-run advantage.

Ohlone put together another four-run rally, this time in the fifth to tie up the game. Ashley Reyes hit a lead-off single, Greer doubled, and Ham walked to load up the bases with no outs. Back-to-back errors by COS allowed all four runs to score to push momentum back to the Renegades side.

In the sixth, Ohlone once again loaded the bases to begin the frame with no outs. Ham's fielder's choice groundout allowed Izzy Reyes to come in to score with the go-ahead run.
 
Ham, who came in to pitch in the fourth, closed out the win by inducing a game-ending double play. Ham picked up the win in relief, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings, to move to 15-7.

At the plate, Pasco drove in three runs, Greer went 3 for 4 with a double, and Ham was 2 for 3 with a double.

Up next
Ohlone advances to Round 2 of the Northern California Regionals where they will travel to No. 2-seeded conference rival College of San Mateo for another best-of-three-game series. Game 1 is set for Friday (May 10) at 2 p.m. followed by Game 2 on Saturday at 12 p.m. A third and deciding game, if necessary, would be played on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Renegades went 0-2 against San Mateo in conference action this season. CSM defeated No. 15 Merced College 2-0 in its opening-round series. CSM is 35-5 overall.