Multiple times on Saturday the Mariners appeared down. Luckily, they were never out. College of Marin Baseball rallied from 3-0 and 5-3 deficits to defeat the Los Medanos Mustangs 8-5 in Kentfield. They scored five runs over the final three frames to fend off a sweep and retake first place in the Bay Valley Conference. Michael Benz pitched a superb 5.2 innings out of the bullpen and Conor Bardue blasted his second home run of the season in the victory.
Marin trailed 5-3 heading to the sixth inning. They loaded the bases courtesy of an error, hit by pitch and single for Nicholas Caravello. He hit a ball high and deep that stayed in the yard, but did drive in Conor Bardue that cut the lead to a single run.
The Mariners made even more noise in the bottom of the seventh as Jacob Berg singled and stole second with one out. Anthony Pomilia singled, scoring the speedy Berg to tie the game at 5-5. The team was not done as Moran singled and a fielding error allowed Pomilia to score. Moran ended up at second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Bardue. The home team added their eighth run in the eighth as Will Langan Jr drove in Oscar Urbina with a single.
Benz retired the Mustangs in order in the ninth to seal the victory for the Mariners. It was their 13th in the Bay Valley Conference this season and pushed them into first place ahead of Los Medanos.
Matthew Lozovoy started for the Mariners and wobbled through 3.1 innings. He allowed a single run in the second and two runs in the third and the fourth to the Mustangs. Moyer relieved him in the fourth but failed to get an out. Benz then came on with the bases loaded in the fourth and struck out two to end the threat. The sophomore reliever pitched the final five innings and earned the win with four strikeouts.
College of Marin scored a trio of runs in the third as they put runners on the corners with one out. Landen Moran lined a ball to the gap that was caught but allowed Berg to come home for the Mariners first run. With two away Bardue belted a pitch into the netting high above left field for a two-run homer that briefly tied the game up at 3-3.
Marin enters the final week of the regular season with a half game lead over Los Medanos with four games upcoming. They play at Solano on Tuesday, at Yuba College on Wednesday, at home against Solano on Thursday and another road game against Solano on Friday. If they win out they will clinch the Bay Valley Conference title outright.
