CSM’s baseball team lost 13-3 in the final game of the Super Regionals on May 13 against Cosumnes River College.
The CSM Bulldogs won Sunday’s first game by a score of 7-6. Behind the efforts of sophomore Clay Bauer, the Bulldogs downed the Cosumnes River Hawks in 11 innings.
Game two in the series saw CSM getting out to an early lead by scoring three runs in the top of the first, which would ultimately be the only runs they would score for game two. Cody Zimmerman scored two runs with a double to right center, Zimmerman then advanced to third on a single from Jarrett Costa, and Brandon Defazio then flied out to score Zimmerman.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Hawks came up strong and scored five runs in the to take the lead 6-3. In the bottom of the fifth, the Hawks scored one more run, and then scored six more in the bottom of the sixth inning. Starting pitcher for the Hawks, Nick Smart, went six innings giving up three runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out four. The Bulldogs went through six different pitchers in that second game of the series. In Sunday’s first game, the Bulldogs got out to an early lead, scoring a run in the first inning.
In the top of the third, the Hawks got on the board with an unearned run. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs scored an unearned run to lead 2-1.
Then in the top of the fifth, outfielder Wil Gilliland of the Hawks stole home, which gave them a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth, when the Bulldogs would score two to take the lead 4-3. In the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs scored twice, once from a single to left field that scored Logan Trowbridge and then when Paul Hernandez stole home.
The lead for the Bulldogs was 6-3 until the eighth inning when Colby Brenner scored on a wild pitch. The Hawks then tied the game up in the top of the ninth with two runs to force the game to go into extras. Clay Bauer went 8.2 innings giving up six runs on five hits, walking five and striking out six.
In the bottom of the eleventh inning, Cameron Gniadek of the Bulldogs singled to left, Nick Davenport reached first on an error then advanced to second because of a balk, and Gniadek stole third base. Paul Hernandez then bunted a single that scored Gniadek, which won the game.
In the first game of the Super Regionals on Friday, CSM’s Daniel Chavez had another strong postseason outing going 8.1 innings pitched, eight hits, one earned run and struck out three.
“It felt good,” Chavez said. “I just went out there and threw strikes, and they pretty much got themselves out. (I) didn’t have too many strikeouts, so I just let my defense work for me.”
The Bulldogs got out to an early lead in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs, one due to an error in centerfield, to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead that would last until the bottom of the fourth when Bo Walter, who singled in the inning and then advanced to third on a single from Logan Trowbridge, ended up stealing home.
“I thought it was a really good win,” CSM shortstop Brandon Defazio said. “We came out ready to go, ready to play. Chavez pitched a hell of a game, we had timely hitting, guys came in in the clutch, and (it was) just a good overall win.”
Cosumnes River and Ohlone played against each other in the second game of a double header. Cosumnes River’s Josh Silver, Garrett Heisinger and Luke McDonald had two RBIs each and Phillip Roa had one RBI to help with the win.
“We’ve played every game of the year on the road,” Consumnes River Head Coach Tony Bloomfield said. “We don’t have a practice facility . . . so our kids are used to just showing up and playing.”
CSM then faced Cosumnes River while Ohlone and Diablo Valley played against each other.
With Ohlone and Diablo Valley in the losers’ bracket of the Super Regionals, whoever won the game would still have a chance to stay in the running.
On May 12, Diablo Valley beat Ohlone 5-0 at Cañada College. Diablo Valley’s pitcher, Alex Palsha, had a complete game shutout. He gave up two hits, struck out nine and walked two. With this win, they would either have to face CSM or Cosumnes River. CSM and Cosumnes River were in the winners’ bracket and were ready to face off. CSM lost that game to Cosmunes River 8-1.
Clint Terry (7-2) was on the mound through five innings, giving up six runs (four earned), walking two and striking out seven. With both CSM and Diablo Valley having one loss on their record for the weekend, they were set to play each other on May 12.
CSM won against Diablo Valley 5-2 in part to strong pitching from Dylan Nelson. Nelson pitched a two-hit shutout leading into the bottom of the ninth, when he gave up the two runs. He would go nine innings giving up six hits and two runs, walking one and striking out six.
“It was nice,” Nelson said. “(The) team played well today: We played good defense, getting a five-run lead really helped, and our catcher just did our job of trying to give up as little hits as possible.”
