Kentfield, CA—After sweeping the week against Contra Costa, Solano, and Napa, the Mariners looked to make it 4 in a row as the Bay Valley Conference season enters its final week of play. Standing in the way of that goal were the Los Medanos Mustangs. In the first matchup between Marin and LMC the Mustangs escaped Kentfield with a controversial victory, this time around the Mariners were ready to get a bit of revenge.
The top of the first did not go to plan for Marin as Jon Allen started off the game by reaching on an error. One batter later Allen would score the first run of the game, on yet another error. By the time the third out was recorded the Mustangs were on top 2-0 with only a single hit.
The defense tightened up behind Eric Smith and did not allow another run until the top of the fourth, making it a 3 run advantage for the Mustangs over the Mariners. With their backs against the wall going into the bottom of the fourth the Mariners put the offense into gear. Marcus Chiu drew a walk on a full count to bring up Jacob Davidson. With the hit and run on Davidson delivered with a line drive into the right centerfield gap. Chiu scored Marin's first run of the day and Davidson was standing up at second base with his first RBI of the day. The inning came to a close without any further scoring but the Mariners were just getting warmed up.
After a quick inning on the mound from Smith the Mariners were back up to the plate Jason Rodriguez led off the inning by drawing a walk. He then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Chris Hayman kept things rolling by sending a grounder up the middle. With runners on the corners and no outs Jaymes Potts came to the plate and battled to draw a walk after a lengthy at-bat to load the bases for Matt Tarantino. After seeing one pitch Tarantino jumped on a mistake and put into left field, bringing in Rodriguez and Hayman to tie the game at three apiece. After a Schalch strikeout Chiu came to the plate with runners on the corners and one out. He put a grounder deep into the left side, Potts broke to the plate and scored before the Mustangs had a chance to send the ball home—leaving the only option to retire Chiu at first. The Mariners took a 4-3 lead into the sixth.
The Mustangs, who entered the game just one game back of Laney in the Bay Valley Conference standings, were not about to go down easily. Los Medanos plated a run of their own in the top of the sixth, using their speed on the base paths to tie the game at 4. Cooper Casad entered the game and quickly got an inning ending pop out to strand a Mustang at second base. Luckily for Marin, there was still firepower left in their bats.
After a popout from Paul Kennedy to lead off the bottom of the sixth, Tyler Torres was hit by a pitch to get aboard. Jason Rodriguez was hit with the very next pitch to put two aboard with just one out and the top of the order coming up. Chris Hayman drew a walk to load the bases for Jaymes Potts. Potts hit a come backer to the mound, which was sent home for the force at the plate. The bases remained loaded for Matt Tarantino. With the defense playing him to pull Tarantino hit it right to second baseman Jon Pluth. But it was so sharply hit that Pluth had a tough time handling it and threw a desperation heave to first base, which could not be caught cleanly. Both Rodriguez and Hayman, going on contact, scored to put Marin back on top, 5-3. Ryan Schalch, the RBI leader in the BVC, continued the scoring for Marin with a line drive out of reach of LMC shortstop Jeremiah Francis to bring in Potts from second base making it a 7-4 lead for Marin.
Again Los Medanos battled back, plating a lone run in the top half of the 7th cutting the Mariners lead to just two at 7-5 going into the eighth inning. Casad gave up a double down the left field line to start off the inning. After a fly out to centerfield Jon Allen came to the plate. With the wind howling out to right field the lefty crushed a 1-0 pitch over the right centerfield wall to tie the game at 7. Casad then gave up a double to the very next batter, and it looked like the Mustangs would again prevail over the Mainers in heart breaking fashion. But the Marin defense held, not allowing another run across and keeping the game tied at seven.
The top of the order came to the plate for the Mariners in the last of the eighth inning. Hayman groundout to third to bring up Jaymes Potts, who despite having scored 2 runs in the game had yet to record a hit, knew that Marin could not afford an empty inning with the momentum riding in the Mustangs favor. On a 2-1 pitch Potts brought all the momentum back into the Marin dugout with one swing of the bat. Potts demolished a pitch over the right field wall, a no-doubter to put the Mariners back on top, 8-7. The entire dugout came out to greet Potts at the plate after his first dinger of the year. Energized by Potts go-ahead blast the Mariners proceeded to tack on two more runs and completely deflate the Mustangs. Cooper Casad went out in the top of the ninth with a 10-7 lead and went 1-2-3, with a pair of punchouts to secure the victory for the Mariners.
WP: Cooper Casad (6-4) 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.
Jaymes Potts: 1-4, HR (1), RBI, 3 R
Matt Tarantino: 2-5, 2 RBI, R
Marcus Chiu: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R