College of Marin has not had a football team in over a decade but Tuesday's baseball game was a throwback of sorts. The Mariners traveled to Merced to take on the Blue Devils and defeated their opponents on the strengths of a two-touchdown performance by the offense in a 14-10 victory. Marin managed 14 runs on just seven hits as they tallied 10 walks and 6 hit by pitches in the win. The top of the order duo of Jacob Berg and Anthony Pomilia were excellent, tallying four of Marin's seven hits and combining for five runs and five RBIs.
Both teams failed to score in the first inning but the Mariners made up for it with a seven spot in the top of the second. Marin loaded the bases with nobody out on two walks and a hit by pitch. Oscar Urbina followed with a hit by a pitch of his own to score Randy Fernandez for a 1-0 lead. After a pitching change by Merced, Kole Morgan worked a bases loaded walk, Berg lined a single and Pomilia a two-run single for a 5-0 lead. Landen Moran walked to reload the bases and Nicholas Caravello walked to force in Marin's sixth run. Fernandez reached on a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning that also plated another for a 7-0 lead.
Nick Roth remained on the hill and pitched three straight scoreless innings, limiting Merced to just a hit, walk and a batter that reached on an error. Marin added two more runs in the top of the fifth as Urbina reached on a strikeout wild pitch before back to back doubles by Berg and Pomilia pushed the advantage to 9-0.
The large lead was short-lived as Merced rallied in the bottom of the fifth. The Blue Devils loaded the bases with two outs and followed with a double, single and double. Though they led 9-5, the Mariners failed to score in the top of the sixth when Demian White took over the Roth. Merced promptly loaded the bases with no outs before capitalizing with a two run single and a chopper to second plated three more and cut the lead to just a single run, 9-8.
After a scoreless seventh by both teams, Marin built a bit of a cushion in the eighth. The Mariners put two on with two out for Eric Woodrow who delivered a two-run double and Oscar Urbina reached on an error to put the team up 12-8. The lead shrunk as Merced pulled one back in the bottom of the inning.
Marin kept at it, and added two more in the top of the ninth before Merced grabbed one final run in the bottom half off of Michael Benz. The final score of 14-10 did not bely the dominance that Marin displayed at times, but credit goes to Merced as well who battled back after trailing 9-0 at one point.
Berg had two hits, two RBI and three runs scored while Pomilia had two hits, two runs and three RBIs. Caravello, Fernandez and Woodrow each scored a run and drove in two of their own for Marin.
Roth earned the win with five innings pitched. He allowed five hits and five runs while walked two and striking out two. Benz earned the save by working the final 3.2 innings and allowing two runs, one earned.
The victory marked the end of the Mariners' non-conference schedule with a 6-9 record. Up next for Marin is the beginning of Bay Valley Conference competition with a road game scheduled at Napa Valley College on Tuesday, March 5th.