Nursing a 3-2 lead with the tying run on base was no problem for Bret Bowyer. The Mariners anointed late inning pitcher brushed off a one out double in the bottom of the ninth to retire the Yuba 49ers batters and grab himself and his team the win. Marin and Yuba never differed by more than a single run, but it was the Mariners who finished the game on the correct side of the ledger, 3-2.
The game remained a taught scoreless affair for the first four full innings of play before Marin finally broke through in the top of the fifth inning. It was not of the clean variety, but a run is a run. Pete Armusewicz reached on an error to lead off and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a Jason Rodriguez flyout, Christian Merriwether singled to drive in Armusewicz and give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. Merriwether was thrown out at second and Dominic Burke popped out to end the inning.
Chase Gardner started on the hill for the Marin and overwhelmed Yuba through the first five innings of play, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out seven opposing hitters. Yuba did find a way to score in the bottom of the sixth as they loaded the bases with no outs via a hit by pitch, error and walk. A fielder's choice had the tying run thrown out at home, before a two out single tied the game at 1-1.
The scored did not remain tied for long as Alex Davis led off the top of the seventh with a single and advanced to second with two outs. Jake Munoz pinch hit for Rodriguez and roped a double scoring Davis and staking Marin to a 2-1 lead.
Bret Boywer replaced Gardner in bottom of the seventh and faced some trouble with two outs. A single and a stolen base put the tying run in scoring position before a single by Taylor Doyle retied the game at 2-2. Yuba put two on with two out, but Boywer settled down to retire the side.
Dominic Burke led of the top of the eighth inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, he moved to third on a pair of ground outs and scored on an RBI single by MacLean Meyn. Nursing a 3-2 lead Boywer allowed a two out double in the bottom of the eighth but struck out Weston Gaddis to end the threat.
After Marin failed to score in the top half of the ninth, Bowyer allowed a one out double in the bottom half. He struck out the third batter he faced for the second out of the inning before issuing an intentional pass to put the winning run at first. The strategy worked as he induced a ground out to end the threat and the game.
Boywer's win gave Marin a victory in the three-game series over Yuba, with a chance to sweep on Saturday in Marin.