Hawks Take Game One Over SD Mesa in State Tournament Appearance

The Cosumnes River College Hawks continued their historic postseason run on Thursday, defeating San Diego Mesa College 7-3 in the opening round of the 3C2A State Tournament to earn head coach Kristy Schroeder her first state tournament victory during her tenure at CRC.

Making just the program's second appearance at the state tournament under Schroeder, the Hawks delivered late-game heroics with a five-run seventh inning to pull away and secure the statement win.

Cosumnes River struck first in the opening inning when Ashley Garcia grounded out to bring home Xochitl Atayde for the game's first run. Moments later, Emma Misasi ripped an RBI triple to right field, scoring Nina Najafizadeh to give the Hawks an early 2-0 lead.

San Diego Mesa responded in the third inning when Itzel Soto connected on a two-run home run to tie the game before the Olympians added another run in the fourth to take a 3-2 advantage.

The Hawks remained composed and delivered their biggest inning of the postseason in the seventh.

With the bases loaded, Alexis Hoke came through with a game-tying RBI single to center field. Misasi followed with a clutch two-run single to give the Hawks the lead, and Emily Azemar added the finishing blow with a two-run single to center, extending the lead to 7-3.

Misasi led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, driving in three runs while recording a triple. Azemar also had a huge day at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Hoke provided a key pinch-hit RBI single in the decisive seventh inning.

The Hawks totaled 11 hits in the victory, with Najafizadeh scoring twice and Imani Black, Faith Hahn, and Kaylena Ogle each contributing hits.

In the circle, Ogle battled through all seven innings to earn her 14th win of the season. The sophomore right-hander allowed three runs, two earned, while scattering seven hits and working around eight walks to keep the Hawks within striking distance until the offense erupted late.

The victory marked a milestone moment for Schroeder, giving the longtime Hawks head coach her first win at the state tournament and further cementing one of the most memorable postseason runs in program history.

After entering the postseason as an underdog, the Hawks have now knocked off multiple higher-seeded opponents and continue their historic run on the state's biggest stage.