LOS ANGELES, Calif-  Chase McGuire hit a laser down the left field line with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to score the tying and game-winning runs in a 7-6 Sonoma State win over UC San Diego in the opening game of the 2007 CCAA Championship Tournament at Reeder Field in Los Angeles.  The Seawolves trailed the whole game before SSU's big bats awoke in the ninth to pull out the win.  The Seawolves will now face the winner of tonight's Chico-Cal State L.A. matchup at 3:00 pm tomorrow. 

The win lifts the second-ranked Seawolves to 47-10 on the year.  UC San Diego drops to 35-22 with the loss.

In the end, the game was eerily similar to 2003 when the No. 1 seeded Seawolves squeaked out a 2-1 win over No. 4 seed Cal State Stanislaus with two runs in the ninth inning of the opener.  SSU went on to win that tournament in three straight.

UC San Diego got to Bryan Oland for three runs in the first inning off a home run to right field by Matt Franco.  The Seawolves got one run back in the third, on a Tyler Wightman sacrifice fly before UCSD tacked on three more in the sixth to make it 6-1.

With their backs against the wall, and the prospect of playing in the loser's bracket looming, the Seawolves got four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.  The big blast came on a two-run homer by Tyrese McDaniel. 

UCSD threatened in the eighth, but closer Paige Dumont got the Seawolves out of a jam.  He proceeded to pitch a scoreless ninth to leave the score at 6-5 after eight.

In the bottom of the ninth UCSD turned to closer Derek Barham.  After a walk to leadoff hitter Brandon Zenimura, Barham threw a wild pitch to move him to second.  B.J. Collom then moved Zenimura to third on a groundout.  An infield single by Tyler Wightman followed before Tyrese McDaniel was hit by a pitch to load the bases for one of SSU's most clutch hitters, Chase McGuire.  With the count 3-1, McGuire absolutely crushed a line drive inside the left field foul line to easily score Zenimura and pinch runner Dave Herman with the winning runs.

Dumont was credited with the win after a solid 1 1/3 inning relief appearance.  He improves to 5-1 on the season. 

SSU had 11 hits as a team, led by three from McGuire and two each from David Adler, Tyler Wightman, and Ian Bridges.

The Seawolves meet either Chico State or Cal State L.A. tomorrow at 3:00 pm.

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