College of Marin Baseball has struggled to score at times in the 2020 season, often to the detriment of excellent pitching. Friday was a prime example as the Mariners managed to score just a single run in 13 innings of play, while starting pitcher Owen Hamilton allowed just one unearned run in 10 innings on the mound. Marin's starter pitched beyond a standard complete game and still could not earn the victory. The Mariners had ample opportunities to win the game but they could not and eventually the Lassen Cougars rallied in the 13^th inning to win the game 3-1.

Both teams failed to score in the first inning and Lassen scored their only run of regulation in the second. A one out single and a ground out moved the baserunner to second. A pop fly to short left clanked off the glove of Marin's Joey Loveless, which allowed the Lassen baserunner to score the opening run of the game. From that point forward Lassen would threaten, but not score again off of Hamilton. The sophomore starter allowed base runners in the third, fourth and fifth but prevented all of them from coming home.  

The Mariners' offense could do little through the first four innings, but put together a rally in the fifth. Johnny Tarantino singled and moved to second on an error. Nick Caravello walked to load the bases with two down before Loveless was hit by a pitch to tie the game at 1-1. Cornet came to the plate with a chance to put Marin on top, but grounded out to end the threat.

Marin had plenty of chances down the stretch but could not deliver the clutch hit. They had two on in the sixth, but a strikeout and fly out denied them. In the eighth the Mariners loaded the bases with two outs, but Nick George grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to snuff the rally. Caravello had a two out single in the ninth, but could not score.

On the mound Hamilton continued his dominance as he retired the side in the sixth, seventh and eighth. He worked around a one out single in the ninth and after Marin failed to score in the ninth, he came out to pitch the 10^th inning setting down Lassen in order.

The Mariners had a golden opportunity to send everyone home happy in the bottom of the 10^th as they loaded the bases with one out. It was not to be as Tyler Shelley popped out and Conor Moylan flied out to end the inning.

The game remained tied at 1-1 in the 11^th when Nick Kennison took over for Hamilton. The freshman pitched a scoreless inning, but the Mariners also failed to score in the bottom half. History repeated itself in the 12^th as Marin stranded more runners in the home half.

Lassen broke through in the 13^th as they led off with a double and reached third on an error. A sacrifice fly scored one and fielding error on a chopper allowed a second run to come around for a 3-1 Cougars' advance. In the bottom of the 13^th Oscar Urbina doubled with one out, but Marin could not sustain the rally and went down.

Hamilton's final line read 10 innings, six hits, one unearned run and five strikeouts. Kennison pitched the final three and took the loss with two unearned runs. Marin managed 11 hits on the day, but they yielded just a single run. Trent Free had three hits in the game while Tarantino had a pair and scored Marin's only run.

The Mariners have a weekend of rest and recovery before they begin a three game series with the Bulldogs of the College of San Mateo. The first game of the series is Tuesday, February 18th in Kentfield with first pitch scheduled for 2pm.