Resurgent El Cerrito softball steamrolls its way into NCS postseason
But the Gauchos are definitely playing with house money.
Buoyed by a top slugging freshman and mainstay senior on the mound, El Cerrito (19-3) has already set a school record for wins while winning the Tri-County Athletic League's Stone Division with a 14-0 record.
It's the Gauchos' first winning season since 2021.
Arlie Tatum, a freshman shortstop and catcher, is hitting .746 with North Coast Section bests of 53 hits and 52 RBIs in 71 at-bats to go along with 10 home runs, 23 doubles and 30 stolen bases, helping the Gauchos outscore league opponents 276-25. Tatum hasn't struck out once.
'One of the most dominating hitters I've seen in high school softball over the last five years,' said El Cerrito assistant coach Ken Miles.
Senior captain and Occidental College commit Courtney Miles is 11-0 on the mound with 119 strikeouts in 53 innings. She's also batting .500 with 32 hits, 24 RBIs, 41 runs, 13 doubles and 28 stolen bases, earning her first-team All-TCAL for a third straight year.
Natalie Gawlikowski (7-2, 0.63 ERA) is the other mainstay on the mound and one of five freshmen on the 17-person squad. Other top hitters are freshmen, Mia Martinez-Rojas (.510, 27 RBIs), Olive Calvin (.450) and Leah Sundstrom (.413).
'Admittedly our league wasn't as tough as some of the others in the Bay Area, but the team took care of business at hand and in nonleague beat NCS playoff teams Albany (14-0) and Piedmont (15-2),' coach Miles said.
The Gauchos open NCS play at home Wednesday against No. 10 seed Las Lomas (13-8), with the winner traveling to second seed Berean Christian-Walnut Creek (16-3) in the quarterfinals Friday or Saturday.
Top seeds in each division are Liberty-Brentwood (D1), Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (D2), Del Norte (D3), Northgate-Walnut Creek (D4), McKinleyville (D5) and Kelseyville (D6).
Top NCS baseball seeds are: Granada-Livermore (D1), Cardinal Newman (D2), California-San Ramon (D3), Arroyo-San Lorenzo (D4), Pinole Valley (D5) and John Swett-Crockett (D6).
State swimming: While the Metro stars were many at the CIF State Swim Championships in Clovis on Saturday, Foothill-Pleasanton sophomore Luke Mijatovic stood out by setting a national 500-yard freestyle record (4 minutes, 11.91 seconds) and breaking the state meet 200 free record in 1:33.52. The previous national record was 4:12.70 set in 2023 by Rex Maurer of Loyola-Los Angeles, and the state meet 200 record was 1:33.84, also by Maurer.
Valley Christian junior Yury Kuzmenko was a double winner, taking the 50 and 100 freestyles, breaking the 50 meet record in Friday's prelims at 19.55 (the previous mark was 19.57 set by Palo Alto's Ethan Harrington). The Princeton commit also anchored the winning 200 medley relay team and was part of the third-place 200 free relay squad.
Dougherty Valley-San Ramon's Songrui Wu also took two boys events, winning the 100 backstroke (47.20) and 200 IM (1:44.55). Other Metro winners were Mitty sophomore Shareef Elaydi (boys 100 breaststroke, 53.18), Gunnar Grubbs (boys diving, 611.80), Campolindo-Moraga freshman Stella Canoles (girls 100 free, 49.26) and Granada's Brooke Bennett (girls 500 free, 4:49.15).
In the team competition, San Ramon Valley-Danville's girls (170.5) placed second behind Santa Margarita-Rancho Santa Margarita (Orange County) (229.5). Monte Vista-Danville (144.5) was third, Campolindo (139) fourth and Mitty (106) fifth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 minutes ago
- New York Post
Yankees fall flat again in brutal loss to Phillies as they hold their breath on Aaron Judge
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free With Aaron Judge out of the lineup in another ominous sign for the crashing Yankees, they didn't do nearly enough to pick up their suddenly banged-up captain and offensive linchpin. While Judge underwent an MRI for an elbow issue Saturday, the Yankee bats mostly were throttled without him until a late Giancarlo Stanton homer in a 9-4 loss to the Phillies at the Stadium to fall to 3-5 since the All-Star break and 14-23 since June 13. Imported third baseman Ryan McMahon went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk in his pinstriped debut after he was acquired Friday from the MLB-worst Rockies. 'They brought me in to play third base and to play baseball. That's something I feel confident in,' McMahon said before the game. 'So I'm gonna go out there and try to do the best that I can and do whatever the team asks me to do to try to help. 4 Marcus Stroman and the Yankees took a lopsided loss to the Phillies on July 26, 2025. Jason Szenes / New York Post 4 Ryan McMahon reacts after he strikes out swinging during the fourth inning on Saturday. Robert Sabo for NY Post 'I think I'm more excited to just be a part of this lineup. From the other side, you look over at the Yankee lineup and it's intimidating.' The Bombers' offense looks far less intimidating, of course, without Judge's presence. Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez shut them down over 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS Yanks starter Marcus Stroman had pitched to a 3.00 ERA over his previous four outings, but he coughed up four runs over the first 3 2/3 innings, beginning with an RBI single by J.T. Realmuto in the first and a solo homer to right by Bryce Harper in the third for an early 2-0 hole. Stroman then lost the strike zone and walked four batters in the fourth, including one to No.9 hitter Johan Rojas with the bases loaded to force in a run. Trea Turner made it 4-0 on an infield out, and Stroman was pulled for righty Yerry de los Santos before he could complete the frame. 4 Allan Winans of the New York Yankees reacts after giving up a home run during the seventh inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post 4 Edmundo Sosa of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with Max Kepler of the Philadelphia Phillies after they both score on Sosa's home run during the seventh inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post McMahon, who led the National League with 127 strikeouts before the trade, came up with two runners on in the bottom half. He was whiffed by Suarez for a second straight at-bat to start his Yankee career, but Jasson Dominguez got them on the board with an RBI single to center. Turner drove in another run for the Phils with a double to right against de los Santos in the sixth. The Phillies tacked on four more runs against Allan Winans one inning later for a 9-1 game, including a two-run blast by Edmundo Sosa.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Harper and Schwarber spark the Phillies to a 9-4 win over the reeling Yankees, who await Judge news
NEW YORK (AP) — Bryce Harper homered deep into the right-field bleachers and Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run double after New York's 10th error in five games, sparking the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-4 win Saturday as the reeling Yankees awaited test rests on the right elbow of captain Aaron Judge. Trea Turner drove in two runs and Edmundo Sosa also homered for the Phillies, who opened a 9-1 lead. Philadelphia started the day a half-game behind the NL East-leading New York Mets. Schwarber had six RBIs and Turner was 6 for 11 as Philadelphia outscored New York 21-9 in the first two games of the three-game series. Ranger Suárez (8-4) allowed one run and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and one walk, throwing a season-high 108 pitches. Judge was out of the Yankees' starting lineup for just the second time this season. His elbow has been bothering him since a throw Tuesday at Toronto, and manager Aaron Boone said the two-time AL MVP was sent for a scan Saturday morning. New York began the day a season-high 5 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Toronto and dropped to 3-5 since the All-Star break. Schwarber doubled after second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. bobbled Turner's potential inning-ending, double-play grounder in the seventh, Chisholm's 12th error this season. Ryan McMahon went 1 for 3 with a walk in his Yankees debut, a day after the third baseman was acquired from Colorado for a pair of pitching prospects. Sosa hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Allan Winans and Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run drive against Daniel Robert in the bottom half. Key plays Sosa left with a bruised back after the third baseman was elbowed by left fielder Brandon Marsh in a collision while catching Chisholm's seventh-inning popup. New York is 21-28 following a 35-20 start. Up next New York LHP Carlos Rodón (10-7, 3.10) and Philadelphia RHP Zack Wheeler (9-3, 2.39) start Sunday's series finale. ___
Newsweek
5 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Yankees Pushed To Steal $122 Million All-Star Trade Target From Dodgers
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly pursuing a trade for St. Louis Cardinals star Brendan Donovan this year. Donovan has a few years of team control left on his deal, so he's not the most likely trade candidate, but the Cardinals could explore trades if there are teams willing to pay a steep price. FanSided's Christopher Kline recently suggested the Yankees should aggressively target Donovan in a deal to prevent the Dodgers from landing the Cardinals' All-Star utilityman. Donovan is under contract for two more years after this season, and Spotrac projects him to sign for $122 million. ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 24: Brendan Donovan #33 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a three-run home run against the San Diego Padres in the second inning at Busch Stadium on July 24, 2025... ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 24: Brendan Donovan #33 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a three-run home run against the San Diego Padres in the second inning at Busch Stadium on July 24, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. More"According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Yankees aren't the only team interested in the St. Louis second baseman," Kline wrote. "She lists the Los Angeles Dodgers as another club with 'known interest,' handing the Yankees a grade-A excuse to push all their chips in for the 28-year-old. "Is Donovan the solution to what ails New York? Probably not, at least not completely. The Yankees could use another solid infielder, but pitching depth is a more pressing concern. And yet, the most pressing concern might just be keeping the Dodgers at bay. That goes for the league at large, but especially for the Yankees, who are probably hoping for a chance at revenge in the upcoming World Series." It wouldn't make too much sense for the Yankees to go after Donovan now. They have Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm Jr. under contract, so adding another controllable infielder wouldn't make much sense, plus there's a logjam in the outfield at the moment. It's also unlikely the Cardinals cut ties with Donovan unless a suitor is willing to overpay by quite a bit. If the Dodgers are willing to do that, there won't be anything the Yankees can do to stop it. More MLB: Yankees Land Trio Of Stars In 7-Player Blockbuster Hypothetical Trade
