College of Marin Baseball opened their conference season in style with a convincing 13-2 victory over the Napa Valley Storm. The game got off to a shaky start as the visitors took an early 2-0 lead, but the Mariners blew open the game in the third with an eight run inning and cruised to a victory. Zach Tonnerre started for the Mariners and gave way to Riley Cronin who earned the win in relief. On offense Oscar Urbina had a career best game including a two-run homer.
Following a scoreless first inning, the Storm made some noise against Tonnerre in the top of the second. The visitors put runners on the corners with one out. Napa's Adkins doubled in a run, and the following batter hit into an RBI ground out to put the Storm in the lead 2-0. Marin went in order in the second, but Napa failed to capitalize on a potential rally in the top of the third.
The home half of the third was all Mariners. Tyler Shelley was retired to begin the inning, before the following nine hitters all reached for Marin. Anthony Pomilia singled and Jacob Berg followed with a triple driving in a run. Dionathan Cornet reached on catcher's interference before Joey Loveless doubled to put Marin ahead 3-2. Trent Free walked and Nick Caravello singled in a run. Eric Woodrow doubled in a pair before Urbina launched a shot into the left field net to cap Marin's eight run barrage.
Tonnerre worked his way out of some trouble in the fourth but kept Napa off the board. Cronin replaced him to start the fifth and hurled three scoreless innings.
The Mariners added two more runs in the sixth, another in the seventh and two in the eighth to top out at 13 runs on the day. Nick George pitched a scoreless eighth and Jack Cottrell a shut out ninth to end the game.
Urbina was the start with a single, double and home run. He scored twice and drove in four runs. Jacob Berg was a homer short of the cycle with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Mariners open Bay Valley Conference play on top with a 1-0 record. Their season record sits at 10-10. They will face the Napa Valley Storm on Thursday, March 12th in Napa at 2:30pm.
