The Mariners played a complete game in Monday's 4-3 win over the Contra Costa Comets. The visitors from San Pablo scored first, but Marin responded to take a lead, and kept the Comets nipping at the Mariners heels the rest of the afternoon. Dominic Burke started and earned the win while a balanced offensive attack saw Marin on the correct side of the final score line.
Contra Costa scored three batters into the game as they started off with three consecutive singles. A double steal put runners at second and third with nobody out, but Burke did an excellent job of quelling the rally. He induced a pop up, followed by a strikeout before getting the last batter to ground out to short as Marin trailed 1-0 heading to the bottom of the first.
The deficit was short-lived for Marin as Christian Merriwether and Jake Munoz both reached to start the game. Alex Davis followed with a single to score Merriwether and MacLean Meyn doubled to drive in Munoz. After loading the bases, James Harwell knocked a fielder's choice which scored Davis to give Marin a 3-1 lead after one complete.
Both team's traded zeroes through the second and third but the Comets made more noise in the fourth. With one out Contra Costa put runners on the corners. A single plated one, but Burke did a good job of minimizing the damage by getting fielder's choice out and a pickoff to end the inning.
Marin added an insurance run in the fifth as the Mariners loaded the bases with two outs for Davis Barkocy who lined a single to score Adam Hussain and extend the lead to 4-2. Their two run cushion was short lived as Contra Costa had a one out double in the sixth and came around to score on a ground out to make the score 4-3.
The Mariners threatened in the seventh with a bases loaded two out situation, but could not score. In the eighth Contra Costa put the tying runner on third with one out but Mariners pitcher Michael Benz got a ground out and fly out to maintain the one run advantage.
Nick Roth took over the ninth and mowed down the opposition 1-2-3 to end the game and give Marin their sixth Bay Valley Conference victory of the year.
Burke threw six innings and allowed three runs, two earned, with two walks and five strikeouts. Benz had a pair of scoreless innings while Roth pitched the ninth for his seventh save of the 2018 campaign. Alex Davis reached base three times and score a run, Randy Fernandez had a two singles and James Harwell had an RBI and three walks on the day.
The Mariners are halfway through a six game in eight day stretch host the Napa Valley on Tuesday, March 27th.