One win is all that stands between College of Marin and the 2017 Bay Valley Conference Championship. Their first chance came and went on Tuesday in Pittsburg as the Mariners fell to the second place Los Medanos Mustangs 13-5. The loss cut their advantage over Los Medanos to two games with two to games left to play. One win in those final two games will clinch the League Title.
Los Medanos' attack was relentless on Tuesday, as the home team scored in seven of eight innings and held a 13-3 lead heading to the ninth inning. The Mustangs took the lead in the bottom of the first on a single, ground out and RBI single. The Mariners tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third as Marcus Chiu connected for his BVC leading 12th home run of the season.
Los Medanos quickly went back ahead as they scored their second run on an RBI single with one away in the bottom of the third inning. The Mariners limited the damage in that inning, but the runs continued to trickle through for Los Medanos. With one away in the fourth Los Medanos scored again with a pair of RBI doubles and a passed ball to push their lead to 5-0.
The Mariners got one back in the top of the fifth with a single, walk and a fielding error, however the 5-2 score was short-lived as LMC scored one more of their own in the bottom half of the fifth.
The 6-2 advantage did not last long as Los Medanos added another two runs in the bottom of the sixth with a two run double to push the lead to 8-2. Marin's James Harwell pulled one back for Marin with an RBI single in the top of the seventh, but Marin still trailed 8-3.
Los Medanos put the game out of reach with three more runs in the seventh and two in the eighth inning to buoy their advantage to 13-3. Marin struck back with two in the ninth, but it was not enough to rally back as the final score line read 13-5.
Offensively Marcus Chiu had an excellent game with a double home run and three runs scored. Marin's Adam Hussain was four for four with a run and an RBI while James Harwell had two hits and two RBIs off the bench.
The Mariners have a day to regroup before hosting Los Medanos on Thursday, April 27th in their second chance to clinch the BVC Title.