Taft College sweeps College of the Siskiyous in home doubleheader
Taft College used a pair of timely offensive surges and two complete-game efforts in the circle to sweep a home doubleheader from College of the Siskiyous, winning 10-6 and 4-2 on Friday at Cougar Court.
In Game 1, the Cougars erased an early deficit with a five-run fourth inning and then slammed the door with a three-run sixth to pull away for a 10-6 victory. Trailing 2-1 in the middle innings, Taft's lineup broke through in the fourth behind extra-base power from Jasmine Estrada and Keiara Santos. Estrada laced a pair of triples and drove in two runs, while Santos launched a home run and finished with three RBIs as the Cougars turned a one-run deficit into a 6-2 lead.
Taft added an insurance run in the fifth to make it 7-2, but Siskiyous mounted a four-run rally in the top of the sixth to close the gap to 7-6 and briefly shift the momentum. The Cougars answered immediately in the bottom half, responding with three runs to restore control and set the final margin at 10-6. Taft outhit Siskiyous 14-12 in the opener and finished with 10 RBIs, including multi-hit efforts up and down the order that sustained pressure on the Eagles' pitching staff.
Santos paced the Game 1 offense with a 3-for-? line that included a home run, three runs scored and three RBIs. Estrada added two triples and two RBIs, and Cadence Mizener chipped in two hits, including a double, and drove in two. The Cougars also collected three doubles and two triples as part of a balanced extra-base attack that fueled the middle-inning surge.
In the circle, Jada Mizener went the distance for Taft, working all seven innings and striking out seven. She scattered 12 hits while allowing six runs, battling through the sixth-inning Siskiyous push and closing out the seventh to secure the complete game. The Cougars' defense backed her with 22 putouts and six assists, overcoming two errors by making key plays behind Mizener when the Eagles threatened.
Game 2 followed a similar script, as Siskiyous again jumped in front before Taft responded with a decisive midgame rally. The Eagles scored a run in the first and another in the third to build a 2-0 advantage, but the Cougars answered in the bottom of the third with a two-run frame to pull even at 2-2. Taft then struck for two more runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead and held that margin the rest of the way.
Starting pitcher Mischa Mott was the difference in the nightcap, delivering a complete-game performance in the circle while also contributing at the plate. Mott limited Siskiyous to four hits and two runs over seven innings, striking out eight and working through the middle innings to finish what she started. Taft's defense turned 17 putouts and six assists behind her, overcoming two errors to keep the Eagles off the board after the third.
Offensively, the Cougars produced 10 hits in Game 2. Katelynn Moore sparked the lineup, scoring two runs and collecting two hits while driving in two and stealing a base. Keona Comilang added a key extra-base hit, finishing with a double and two RBIs to help power the third- and fourth-inning rallies. Mott also helped her own cause with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate, providing consistent traffic on the bases as Taft methodically built and protected its two-run lead.
Across the doubleheader, Taft outscored Siskiyous 14-8 and posted 24 hits while receiving back-to-back complete games from its pitching staff. The Cougars' combination of timely power, depth in the lineup and steady work in the circle set the tone on a clear, cool afternoon at the TC Softball Field and provided momentum heading into the heart of their schedule.