SAN JOSE — Holly Azevedo has become known for her cannon of a right arm.
Tuesday night, the sophomore Pioneer High pitcher, was just as dominant at the plate as she is in the circle.
Azevedo went 2-for-3 with a triple, double with two RBIs and threw a complete game one-hit shutout to lead top-seeded and undefeated Pioneer to an 8-0 victory over No. 4 seed Mt. Pleasant to earn a berth in the Central Coast Section Division II title game.
“It definitely helped, it started a rally,” said Azevedo of her two hits, specifically her two-run triple. “It definitely woke us up."
With the win, the Mustangs (29-0) make a return to the D-II title game where they will take on the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between No. 3 seed Hillsdale (20-8) and No. 2 Mitty (25-3). The championship game will take place Saturday at PAL Stadium at a time to be determined.
“We've been pumped for this game all year,” said Azevedo who struck out 10 and walked only one. “We are going to be really loud on Saturday. We've wanted this this since the beginning of the year.”
Azevedo, who has yet to relinquish an earned run this season — yes all season — got out of her lone jam of the game in the fourth inning when Emily Randall singled and Megan Graeser reached on a fielder's choice. Randall stole third base but Azevedo got out of it by striking out Eternity Guzman to end the threat.
The Mustangs answered in the bottom half of the inning as Lauryn Garcia provided the first run of the game when the sophomore second baseman drove in Brooke Niewwoehner with an RBI double.
“I just knew I had to step up,” said Garcia. “Hopefully we can take it home this year, we want it to being it home for our five seniors.”
After another 1-2-3 inning by Azevedo, the Mustangs broke open up the game — and Mt. Pleasant's chance at the upset — with a seven-run fifth inning that saw 11 batters come to the plate. All seven runs were scored with two outs.
Azevedo delivered a two-run stand up triple, then the Mustangs tacked on two runs from errors by the Cardinals before leadoff hitter Mackenzie Drake lined a two-run, two RBI single to cap the inning.
“I was a little nervous because we hadn't scored any runs until the fifth inning,” said Drake. “But once we did, it was such a great feeling.”
Mt. Pleasant (17-10) lost to Pioneer for the fourth time this season, all shutouts.
“They have a great pitcher and a good little hitting team,” said Mt. Pleasant coach John Dagnino, whose team is losing just two starters to graduation. “We made it a game for the first four innings. We got on base and we didn't get a run in or that one big hit.
“We're gonna be tough next year.”
Now Pioneer — which hasn't lost since last year's D-II title game against Mitty — hopes to write the final chapter Saturday in what could be the first undefeated season in school history.
“We got to see Mitty dog pile on the middle of the field,” said Garcia of Mitty celebrating the D-II title game win over Pioneer. “So hopefully we get to do that this year.”
