ROHNERT PARK, Calif- After scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the ballgame at 7-7, Sonoma State's
Austin Hogans reached base on a walk with two outs and eventually came around to score after a Cal State Monterey Bay fielding miscue gave the Seawolves the 8-7 victory over the Otters in the series opener on a sunny Friday afternoon at Seawolf Diamond. Sonoma State improves to 10-14 overall and 3-10 in the CCAA. Cal State Monterey Bay drops to 5-21 (1-16 CCAA).
Down 7-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Sonoma State's
Bobby Cozine doubled to left center field that scored
Ryan Stevens, narrowing the Otter lead to 7-5. Two batters later,
Kyle Jones powered his second of two home runs on the day over the left field wall, tying the score at seven.
Brian Flint, who relieved starting pitcher
Scott Alexander in the seventh inning, retired the side on three straight batters, leaving the door open for a Seawolf win in walk-off fashion. However, the Otters got two quick outs by Cal State Monterey Bay's Corey Lathram, who came in to pitch the ninth. With two down,
Austin Hogans walked and then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Lathram. Stevens then reached first base on an error by Otter second basemen Nolan Murray, allowing Hogans to move over to third. Stevens stole second on a runner indifference, putting two runners in scoring position for
Ryan Morales. On the first pitch to him, Morales grounded the ball to Murray at second base, but Murray misplayed the ball, forcing him to rush the throw to first base. However, Morales beat the wild throw and Hogans advanced home for the game-winning run.
Flint (1-0) picked up his first victory of the season after pitching three innings, giving up two runs on just two hits, walking one and striking out a pair. Lathram (0-3) got the loss after giving up the game-winning run in the ninth, although it was unearned.
After retiring the first three Cal State Monterey Bay batters of the game, Alexander allowed one run in each of the next five innings, giving the Otters a 5-3 lead through six complete innings. He scattered eight hits, giving up the five runs while walking four and striking out four.
The Seawolves jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning on a couple of doubles, a single, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly.
It would be the Otters game from then on until Sonoma State got a run back in the bottom of the seventh when Jones hit his first home run of the day, a solo blast to right field to narrow the Otter lead to 5-4.
Cal State Monterey Bay jumped back out to a three run lead at 7-4 when Ronnie Fhurong sent a two-run shot over the left field fence. It would be the last runs of the game for the Otters.
Jones led the Seawolves on offense, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. Wells and Cozine each added two hits.
For the Otters, Nolan Murray had a 3-for-5 day at the plate with three runs scored; however, it was overshadowed his three errors, including two in the bottom of the ninth. Fhurong had two hits and three RBI and Alex Mangubat added two hits for the Otters as well.
Sonoma State and Cal State Monterey Bay will continue their four-game series tomorrow morning with a doubleheader, beginning at 11 a.m. at Seawolf Diamond.
Box Score: Sonoma State 8, Cal State Monterey Bay 7
