For the second time in two weeks, the San Lorenzo Valley Cougars handed the Soquel Knights a 5-2 loss.
Last week’s win clinched the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title, and on Saturday, May 23, the third-seeded Cougars defeated Soquel again and advanced to the semifinals of the Central Coast Section tournament.
In the victory, Sam Lipperd struck out 11 Knights, and Kendra Salangsang delivered a two-out, bases-loaded double to drive in the eventual game-winning run.
Soquel’s Kelsey Corkrean took the loss.
SLV played No. 2-seeded Notre Dame of Belmont in the semifinal round on Thursday, May 28, after Press-Banner press time.
A win would pit the Cougars against either No. 1 seed Notre Dame of Salinas or No. 4 seed Robert Louis Stevenson in the finals.
The Cougars fell to Belmont 1-0 on April 3 during the Steinbeck Classic Tournament despite a complete-game two-hitter by Lipperd.
The Cougars are making a deep run into the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Last year, as the seventh seed, the Cougars won their first two games in the CCS tournament, including an upset over second-seeded Aptos, before falling in the semifinals.
