The Mariners mounted a valiant comeback in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday but it was not enough as they fell 9-4 to the College of San Mateo Bulldogs. Marin scored four in their last at bat and had two runners on with two outs before finally falling to San Mateo. The Mariners dropped the final two games of the three game series to end their 2018 playoff run.
It was a close game through the first six innings before the visitors from San Mateo blew the game open in the seventh with six runs to take an 8-0 lead. They added a ninth in the eighth inning before the Mariners made their noise in the final inning.
Jake Munoz led off the ninth with a single and moved to third on a double by Christian Merriwether. James Harwell was hit by the pitch to load the bases for Alex Davis who hit a chopper to second to score a run. Adam Hussain followed with a massive home run to left, his third of the series and the Mariners were in business, trailing 9-4. MacLean Meyn walked and Dominic Burke singled to extend the threat. The San Mateo closer entered the fray and snuffed out the rally, striking out Owen Hamilton and getting a groundout by Randy Fernandez to end the game.
Dominic Burke started for the Mariners in game three and pitched well to start the game as he held San Mateo scoreless in the first and second innings. The Mariners struggled offensively against the San Mateo starter as he limited the Mariners to a walk and two singles through the first eighth innings of play.
San Mateo got on the board in the third as the leadoff man reached on a single. A double by Sean Prozell drove in the first run and with a two outs a hard smash to third was mishandled allowing the second run to come around.
In the fourth Burke walked the leadoff hitter who promptly stole second. After a fly out Nick Roth took over with one out in the fourth. Roth retired the two batters he faced in the inning to keep the game at 2-0.
Roth kept San Mateo off the board in the fifth and sixth innings before he ran out of gas in the seventh. The first five batters of the inning reached before Michael Benz relieved Roth. Benz yielded a run scoring sac fly and a run scoring sac bunt to increase the Bulldogs' lead to 7-0. A fielding error brought in another for San Mateo who held a commanding 8-0 advantage heading into the seventh inning stretch.
The Bulldogs added another in the eighth inning before their heroic last stand in the bottom of the ninth.
Merriwether had two hits and a run on the day while Adam Hussain launched his seventh homer of the season and increased his RBI total to 40 on the year.
Though the Mariners did not advance past the first round of the playoffs, it was an excellent season all around for College of Marin Baseball.
