The College of San Mateo softball team completed a perfect run through the 3c2A playoffs, winning eight straight games to capture its second state championship — adding to the title won in 2022.
After going 2-0 in a best-of-three series in the Northern California regional against Feather River and again in a two-game sweep of Hartnell in the Nor Cal super regional, CSM (43-3) went perfect 4-0 in the final eight of the state tournament at West Valley College in Saratoga.
In the first of a possible two games Sunday afternoon, the Bulldogs took on a Palomar team that they had beaten in the state tournament opener Thursday, 4-2.
CSM didn’t need the if-necessary game Sunday as they wrapped up the state title with a 7-4 win over the Comets, who were ranked No. 2 in the state in the last 3C2A poll in April, with CSM No. 3.
“Palomar was tough,” said CSM head coach Nicole Quigley-Borg. “They had eight players hitting .400 or better. If you look on paper, Palomar was going to take the whole thing. … If you would have asked me two years ago if we would win a state championship (in 2025), I would have said, ‘no.’ But ask me three weeks ago, I would have said, ‘maybe.’
“They were a tough two games — to open and close.”
The matchup was a repeat of the 2015 state championship series, which Palomar won. It took 10 years, but the Bulldogs finally turned the tables.
Did Quigley-Borg recognize the symmetry between the two series 10 years apart?
“Of course!” Quigley-Borg said.
For the second game in a row, CSM fell behind, with Palomar (44-5) scoring two runs in the bottom of second inning. But like they did against Yuba in the winner’s bracket final, the Bulldogs responded right back, tying the game with two runs in the top of the third. That was followed by three runs in the top of the fourth that gave the Bulldogs the lead for good and they tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth.
The Comets rounded out the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
CSM pitcher Nohemi Livingston closed out her legendary softball career by being named Most Valuable Player of the 3C2A Softball State Championship tournament.
3c2asports.org
CSM starting pitcher Nohemi Livingston, a sophomore out of Capuchino, capped arguably the best run of pitching in CCS history this postseason. She culminated the Bulldogs’ run to the state crown by pitching a complete game against Palomar, her fourth of the tournament, as she allowed four runs on eight hits.
In the playoffs, Livingston was 6-0, with Gianna Tassio earning the other two wins. Livingston, who improved to 28-3 on the season Sunday, threw 43 innings in the playoffs, giving up just five earned runs, good for an ERA of 0.81.
Livingston also earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
“She is one of the best pitchers (in program history) and I’ve had some great pitchers come through this program,” Quigley-Borg said. “She did a great job at changing speeds and coming into her own. Last year, she was a role player.
“(This year) she was the big dawg. … She was just on. She was not going to be denied.”
The win also wraps up Livingston’s playing career as she will transfer to University of Hawaii as a student, only.
But she certainly ends her playing career on a high note. In addition to the state title win, she became the first CSM pitcher to pitch every inning of the state tournament, where the Bulldogs were making their 11th straight appearance.
Meanwhile, the CSM offense outscored the opposition 36-11 through eight playoff games, including 19-10 in the four state games. In the title contest, Ale Philllips drove in a team high three runs, with Livingston adding a pair of RBIs. Nia Mapa, a freshman from San Mateo, had the other RBI for the Bulldogs.
“We dealt with a lot of adversity this year. Offensively, they took a lot longer to come around,” Quigley-Borg said. “We didn’t get a lot of clutch hits throughout the season.
“We play the game a different way. We play at a fast pace. This team just took a long time to put it together.”
The Bulldogs advanced to the championship round after beating Yuba 5-2 in the winner’s bracket final Saturday. Yuba, which was of two teams to beat CSM during the regular season (along with West Valley), took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but CSM responded with two runs in the top of the second and tacked on three more in the top of the fourth to lead 5-2.
Livingston got it done at the plate and in the circle for the Bulldogs. She pitched a complete game, giving up two runs (one earned) while limiting Yuba to just four hits, with six walks and six strikeouts.
At the plate, Livingston drove in a pair of runs, as did Phillips.
Livingston proved throughout the season that she is a two-way player. She finished in a tie for third in RBIs with former Notre Dame-Belmont standout Katie Johnson with 23 RBIs each. Jessica Gutierrez led the team with 26 and Phillips had 24.
“(Livingston) really committed to being great on both sides of the ball,” Quigley-Borg said. “And the game gave back. I’m so happy for her.”