WALK-OFF WIN
4/14/2011 1:12:00 AM | Baseball
But in a cruel twist for the upset-minded visitors, the NAIA's No. 4-ranked Lancers scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, keyed by a game-tying double by Cole Bullard and a game-winning single by Matt Marnati to escape with a 7-6 victory over the Lions at Totman Stadium.
The win is the Lancers' eighth in their past nine games as they improve to 34-10 overall, 21-8 GSAC, maintaining no worse than a half-game lead atop the GSAC with seven to play. It is their fifth straight and 21st win in the last 22 games over Vanguard.
The Lions, who played in the NAIA National Tournament last year, fall to 17-21, 13-15.
After the Lions took a 6-5 lead with four runs in the eighth off Lancer starter Taylor Siemens, the Lancers were down to their final two outs.
Pinch-hitter Drew Madrigal chopped one to short but reached safely on the Lions' first error when shortstop Brandon Pesante misplayed the short hop. Pinch-hitter Jake Johnson then reached on infield single between short and third on a 2-2 pitch, putting the winning run on.
"We got a couple of breaks and then we capitalized on them," said CBU Head Coach Gary Adcock. "You have to do that to win games, especially ones like today. Sometimes in coaching you play your gut. Drew is a tough out, because he doesn't strike out a lot. I just wanted him to put the ball in play, and then Jake hooked a grounder into the hole. Sometimes that's baseball."
With new life, Bullard doubled just inside the right field line on a 2-2 pitch, scoring pinch-runner Ryan Cathers from first with the tying run. The Lions opted to intentionally walk Ryan Douglass to load the bases with one out, and Marnati, who re-entered the game after being replaced in the sixth, hit the second pitch he saw from reliever Mike Leal (3-3) deep to left center to drive in Johnson with the winning run.
"Those were two good swings by Cole and Matt," said Adcock.
"Coach just told me to stay ready, and I was just hoping to get a chance to hit again," said Marnati. "I was sitting fastball, and he left it out over the plate. All I wanted to do was go the other way and put it in play."
It was the Lancers' first walk-off win of the season.
Siemens was as strong as ever giving up just five hits in 7.1 innings, but he ran into trouble in the eighth, giving up three straight hits before striking out Jacob Domingos for his seventh strikeout of the game.
With two outs, though, Jeremiah Mejia hit a line drive, two-run homer to left center to give the Lions their first and only lead of the game.
"Taylor has been picking us up all year, so it's time we return the favor to him," said Adcock. "He tried to grind it out, and I felt we could push it since he's not throwing next week. Mejia hit a good pitch."
Patrick Smith (4-0) worked a scoreless ninth, working out of a two-on, two-out jam, to get the win in relief of Siemens, who will have to wait at least one more start to get what would be his 26th career victory, tying him for the program record.
Sharif Othman had two hits. His first one, a leadoff single in the third, put him in the CBU record books as only the fourth player in program history with 200 career hits. His second one, a three-run shot to right field in the sixth against VUSC starter Gabriel Garcia, gave the Lancers a 5-2 lead and was his 29th career shot, bringing him within one of becoming the fourth Lancer ever with at least 30 round trippers.
Despite striking out looking three times, Zach Esquerra hit his GSAC-leading 16th homer of the season to give the Lancers a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Marnati and Bullard also finished with two hits apiece.
