ROHNERT PARK, CALIF. - On Sunday, February 25th, the Sonoma State baseball team concluded their conference opening series with Cal State Monterey Bay. They would hold the Otters to just four runs in game one of Sunday's doubleheader but fail to capitalize offensively and drop the game 4-2. In the finale, they would rally in the 7th with a tie ballgame and load the bases for center fielder
Kenny Decelle. Decelle would work a full count and with the stage set, rifle a line drive to right field that would get down and score
Chris Ortiz from third to send the Seawolves home winners 5-4.
GAME 1 SSU 2-4 CSUMB
In game one, senior right hander
Blake Janowicz would get the start and grind through six innings. Despite giving up 8 hits, Janowicz would hold the Otters high power offense to just four runs and keep the Seawolves within striking distance. A pair of RBI hits would get Monterey Bay on the board in the second and then a solo shot in the fifth would extend their lead to 4-0.
SSU would take advantage of a pair of costly errors in the sixth and seventh innings, cutting the deficit in half. A one out walk in the ninth would bring the tying run to the plate but the Otters closer would get back-to-back fly outs to end the threat and secure the series victory. Second year pitcher
Michael Panichi would come out of the pen and throw three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit to conclude the game for SSU.
Shane Callison,
Kenny Decelle,
Daniel Monti and
Cam Mercurio would be responsible for all four hits in the contest.
GAME 2 SSU 5-4 CSUMB
With more of a bullpen game to finish off the series,
Luke Ivanoff would get the start and battle through three innings. Despite giving up three runs, the Seawolves offense would back him up as
Christopher Wright would belt his second homer of the series to tie things up 2-2 in the first.
Shane Callison would tack on another in the third with a two out RBI single down the line to score
Chris Ortiz. SSU continued the threat in the third with a bases loaded walk to give them a 4-2 lead. In the fourth, Ivanoff would start the inning but put the first two runners on before departing for
Noah Souza. Souza would do exactly what head coach
John Goelz wanted and limit the damage. He would record three consecutive ground ball outs and surrender just one run to get out of the jam.
The Otters would stay alive though and tie things the very next inning with three hits off of Souza.
Marcellus Henry would replace him and with two runners on, he would retire the next three batters to once again limit the damage and take a tie ballgame into the sixth.
The Seawolves would get chances to take the lead in the fifth and sixth including a bases loaded one out situation in the sixth but failed to get that clutch hit when they needed it most. Henry continued his solid outing and worked around a two out walk in the seventh to give SSU a chance to walk it off in the bottom half.
In the seventh, some craziness would take place after a single from
Braeden Holliday followed by a one out walk from Ortiz.
Mark Hernandez would pinch hit and ground a sharp ball to first. The Otters first baseman would try to turn two after the diving stop but throw the ball into Ortiz as he slid into second. Everyone would wind up safe on the play as the bases were loaded once again for
Shane Callison.
Callison would work a tough at bat but with the infield in, he'd hit a two hopper to second base who came home for the crucial out at the plate to keep the game tied. With two outs, the Seawolves' hottest hitter in
Kenny Decelle would come to the plate with a chance to win it. Decelle also battled to a full count and eventually lined a ball to right center that found the grass and gave SSU the 5-4 walk-off victory.
Decelle was mobbed by his teammates into shallow left field as the Seawolves rallied to take the series finale and pick up their first conference win of the season. Henry would get credit for his second win of the season with a stellar relief outing, giving up just one hit in nearly three scoreless innings of work. Decelle led the way with three hits and the game winning RBI.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Seawolves improve to 6-6 overall and 1-3 in conference play. They will hit the road next week to battle Cal State East Bay on Friday, March 1st. First pitch is slated for 2:00 PM. Live stats and stream links can be found at sonomaseawolves.com and you can stream the game LIVE on the CCAA Network.
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