No. 6 COS Softball Advances to Super Regionals with Series Win Over No. 11 American River 

VISALIA, Calif. – The College of the Sequoias softball team (31-9-1, 15-3 CVC) battled back from an opening game loss to win two straight to win the best-of-three series over American River College (22-21, 12-12 Big 8) in the opening round of the 3C2A Northern California Regional. The Giants fell 4-2 in Game 1 before responding with a 10-8 win and an 8-0 run-rule victory to advance to the Super Regionals. 

American River took the opener behind a 12-hit effort, scoring three runs in the second inning and adding another in the third to build a 4-1 lead. The Giants answered with single runs in the second and fifth innings but were unable to close the gap, finishing with seven hits. Madisyn Benedict (Hanford HS) led COS with two hits, while Andreya Mendoza (Hanford HS) and Jadyn Enriquez (Hanford HS) each added base hits. Audrina Rodriguez (Woodlake HS) went the distance in the circle, allowing four runs on 12 hits. 

Facing elimination, the Giants responded with one their best offensive performances in Game 2, collecting 16 hits in a 10-8 victory. The Giants broke the game open early with a five-run second inning, highlighted by RBI hits from Gabrielle Vasquez (Redwood HS), Shelby Somavia (Redwood HS), and Madisyn Benedict. Vasquez finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Somavia went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Benedict added four hits and two runs scored. Miyah Reeves (Coalinga HS) reached base four times and drove in a run. 

COS extended its lead to 9-1 through six innings before holding off a late American River rally in the seventh. Amanda Herrera (Immanuel HS) earned the win, tossing six innings. Rodriguez entered the game with the tying run at the plate, and closed the door by shutting out the Beavers in the seventh to secure the save. 

"After Game 1, our group responded the way you hope they do," said head coach Cori Janelli. "They stayed composed, trusted their approach, and found ways to get contributions throughout the lineup. That's been a strength of this team all year."

The Giants carried that momentum into the decisive Game 3, delivering a complete performance in an 8-0 run-rule win in six innings. Sequoias scored in five of the six innings, building an early lead with two runs in the first and adding to it with multi-run frames in the third and sixth. 

Gabrielle Vasquez continued her strong series, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Madisyn Benedict added two hits and two RBIs. Yarelli Rocha (Arvin HS) and Andreya Mendoza each recorded multi-hit games and drove in runs as part of a 10-hit effort. 

Rodriguez dominated in the circle, throwing a complete-game shutout over six innings. She allowed just three hits while striking out eight, keeping American River off the scoreboard and securing the series-clinching win. She is now top 10 in the state in wins with 20 wins. 

"Our pitchers competed all weekend, and defensively we made the plays when we needed them," Janelli added. "Game 3 was a great example of us putting everything together—quality at-bats, pressure on the bases, and strong pitching."

With the series victory, College of the Sequoias advances to the Super Regionals. They will travel to San Joaquin Delta College on Friday, May 8, with game 1 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. Game 2 will be on Saturday, May 9, at 12:00 p.m., with game 3, if necessary, at 2:00 p.m. A spot in the 3C2A State Championships on the line. The state tournament is scheduled for May 14-17 in Bakersfield, Calif., hosted at Bakersfield College and CSU Bakersfield.