DONOVAN BLAST PROPELLS CSM PAST CHABOT, 10-2, IN COAST NORTH SOFTBALL FINALE

SAN MATEO -- State leader Harlee Donovan smacked a 3-run home run over the left field fence in the second inning as College of San Mateo took a 10-2 victory over Chabot College for the Bulldogs 56th consecutive home victory. The win skein is in its third year!  

CSM (32-3, 11-1 Coast North) won its fifth consecutive conference title by a 3-game margin over Ohlone (8-4). Chabot finished third at 6-6 (24-8 overall). 

Morgan Jones pitched the first three innings to get the win, her 15th against a single loss. She ranks fourth in the state with a 1.16 E.R.A.

It was a state season-leading 16th round tripper for Donovan, who also led the state in 2015 with 20 homers. She crossed home plate three times on the day and paces the state in runs scored with 52. CSM's Meagan Wells ranks second with 48 after scoring twice and getting two hits on the day (to up her batting average to .424). Donovan is batting .480 and slugging 1.118 (tops in Northern California and No. 2 in the state).

Donovan also scored the game's first run, coming in on a double by Samantha Dean, who had three hits on the day and is batting .426. Dean started at third base and closed out the final two innings on the mound. 

The Bulldogs came into the bottom of the fifth leading, 6-2, and ended it with four runs for a mercy-rule win. The walkoff came when Kaitlin Chang singled to center field to bring home Christy Peterson (who had gotten on with an RBI single). Chang and Jordan Davis each had a pair of hits. 

San Mateo will close out regular season play with four non-conference games over the next two weeks before hosting a state regional playoff opening series May 6-7.  Shasta visits CSM for a noon doubleheader on Saturday. The Bulldogs will play at Cabrillo on April 21 and host nemesis San Jose City College on April 26, both at 3 p.m.

STREAK NOTES: San Jose is the only Coast Conference opponent to beat San Mateo over the past three seasons – at any location. CSM's last home loss was on April 2, 2014, to San Jose. The Bulldogs lone defeat by a Coast team since that date came last month, at San Jose -- on St. Patrick's Day.  The Bulldogs had a "perfect" 35-0 regular season in 2015 and finished second in the state championships. 

TEN TITLES: San Mateo has now won TEN Coast softball titles this century: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2012 through 2016.