Taft drops NorCal Regional Round 1 doubleheader at San Joaquin Delta

Taft College saw its 3C2A Softball NorCal Regional Playoff Round 1 run end in Stockton after San Joaquin Delta swept a two-game doubleheader, taking Game 1, 10-2, on May 1 and Game 2, 10-0 in five innings, on May 2. The decisive blows came early in both games, with Delta using a four-run first inning each time to put the Cougars in chase mode.

In the opener, Taft fell behind 4-0 in the first after San Joaquin Delta stacked together extra-base hits. Suae Beatty doubled during the rally and Ava Pannell added an RBI double as Delta seized control. The Cougars answered in the third when Kailynn Johnson delivered Taft's biggest swing of the day, a two-run home run that trimmed the deficit to 4-2. That moment briefly gave Taft life, but Delta responded with single runs in the fourth and then broke the game open with a four-run sixth. Brooklynn Galloway's double helped key that final surge.

Johnson's homer accounted for both Taft runs in Game 1, and the Cougars finished with seven hits. San Joaquin Delta, though, stayed productive throughout the lineup, piling up 12 hits and five doubles without committing an error. Kiana (KiKi) Mazza led that effort by going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Beatty scored three times. In the circle, Elisa Galli threw a complete game, working 6 innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out six on 74 pitches.

Game 2 followed a similar script and was effectively decided in the first inning. Elizabeth Avila hit a grand slam to cap a four-run frame, putting Taft in an immediate hole. Delta added another run in the third on a solo home run by Daniella Hunter, then ended the game with a five-run fifth. Galloway supplied another key extra-base hit in that final inning, doubling home two runs as Delta stretched the margin to 10-0.

Taft managed only two hits in the second game and could not solve Galli, who returned to throw a five-inning shutout. She allowed two hits, struck out six and did not give up an earned run on 58 pitches. Delta scored 10 runs despite just four hits by drawing nine walks and taking advantage of Cougar miscues during the fifth-inning outburst. Avila finished with four RBIs and two hits, while Hunter added a homer, two RBIs and three runs scored.

Across the two games, the Cougars showed their best offensive punch on Johnson's third-inning homer in the opener, but San Joaquin Delta controlled the series with early offense, steady pitching and clean defense. The doubleheader sweep sent Taft out of the regional round in Stockton, while Delta moved on after outscoring the Cougars 20-2 over the two games.