CSM rolls to sixth straight win, wraps up sweep of De Anza with 17-2 rout

SAN MATEO — The College of San Mateo baseball team erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning Saturday, rolling past De Anza College 17-2 at home to close out a three-game Coast Conference North Division series sweep.

The Bulldogs led 10-2 entering the eighth before pinch hitters Leandro Pena and Aaron Babaev delivered back-to-back home runs to blow the game open. Pena's three-run shot to left field cleared the bases and pushed the lead to 14-2. Babaev followed two batters later with a two-run blast to right center. Elijah Ward capped the inning with an RBI single, his second of the game.

San Mateo built its lead in the early innings. Joseph Hoskins drove in a run with a groundout in the first, and Rocco Giometti's RBI triple in the third made it 3-0. The Bulldogs then sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth, scoring five times on doubles by Carter Bleeker and Hoskins, a Jacob Ryan triple and a Ward RBI single.

De Anza provided brief life in the seventh, scoring twice on an RBI single by Drew Paxton and a groundout by Christian Wenks to cut the deficit to 8-2. But San Mateo answered with two runs of its own in the bottom half, and the eighth put the game out of reach.

A.J. Minyard earned the win, improving to 3-2. He threw five shutout innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out four on 67 pitches. Jack Molise, Jake Belloni, Braden Agosta and Brody Ceyrolles finished off the Dons.

Ward led the offense, going 3-for-6 with two RBIs. Bleeker was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Hoskins doubled, drove in three runs and scored once. Pena and Babaev each homered in their only at-bats as pinch hitters, combining for five RBIs.

De Anza starter Skylar Roenicke took the loss, falling to 0-2. He allowed three runs on three hits in 2.2 innings, throwing 66 pitches.

CSM won its sixth straight game. The Bulldogs' offense has found its way during that stretch, outscoring City College of San Francisco and De Anza by a combined 106-4 margin. San Mateo improved to 18-7 overall and is 6-0 in the Coast North Division. 

The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday (Mar. 24) when they open a three-game Coast North series at home against Skyline College.