The Santa Rosa Junior College baseball team survived a wild game against College of Marin 17-11 behind a collective effort from the offense after blowing a seven run lead May 2 at the College of Marin.
Despite the Mariners’ effort to stay competitive, the Bear Cubs swept College of Marin in the regular season. In the final game of the series Feb. 14, Santa Rosa walked Marin off in the 13th inning after trailing 7-4 in the fifth.
It was a tale of two sides for the Bear Cubs on Saturday afternoon.
While the offense smashed a season high of 17 runs, pitching struggled heavily. Totaling from four pitchers, Santa Rosa gave up 16 hits and four home runs, giving the Mariners momentum.
Ace pitcher Myles Standish returned from illness and started off unconscious by striking out the side. Standish tossed six strikeouts, only allowing one hit through the first three innings.
First baseman J.T. Summers slugged the game’s first run in the third on a two-out RBI single with a runner on third.
In the fourth inning, balls were rocketed into the air like fireworks.
With right fielder Anane Wilson in scoring position, Second baseman Miles Clayton fired an RBI single to bring Wilson home.
Returning from injury, left fielder Nic Sebastiani crushed a hanger into left field for a two-run home run for his first at-bat since Feb. 20, following a lineup change from Santa Rosa.
Sebastiani reflected on coming back from injury.
“Damon gave me an opportunity to play and I knew I had to play the best version of myself,” Sebastiani said. “I had to figure out what that was and to play free and have fun. I didn’t want any negative distractions. I was very emotional. I’m still processing it.”
Sebastiani finished the day 2-4 with four RBIs.
With bases loaded, designated hitter Chase Sutherland joined the party with a grand slam hit to center field.
Sutherland described his approach to the at-bat.
“In my grand slam, he spun a breaking ball and I kind of took a bad swing on it,” Sutherland said. “I knew I had to make the adjustment, and next pitch I put a good swing on it.”
In the bottom fourth, Standish allowed his first run on an RBI single, but recovered without any further damage.
Despite trailing 8-1, the Mariners stayed on the pitcher and struck at the top of the fifth.
Standish allowed six runners on before recording his first out in the fifth. Marin swamped Standish, scoring four runs, including a two-run home run. Standish allowed another RBI single before getting the final out. The Mariners reduced their deficit to make it 8-6.
Standish finished with a season worst of six runs allowed on six hits and one walk, throwing 111 pitches in five innings.
Santa Rosa got three runs back in the next inning after Sutherland drove in an RBI double; shortstop Caze Derammelaere hit an RBI single to left field; and Sebastiani pulled a sac fly for an RBI to increase the lead to 11-6.
Wyatt Abramson relieved Standish in the sixth and got through with no damage despite loading the bases with two outs.
Abramson allowed runners on first and third in the seventh before getting replaced by Evan Sandoval who allowed a three-run homer on his second pitch.
In the eighth inning, Sandoval allowed two more home runs tying the game 11-11 for the Mariners. Kessler Koch came in for Sandoval and completed the inning with no further damage.
Pitching coach Jared Noonan contemplated Santa Rosa’s challenges of the day.
“Wind was blowing, they were hitting,” Noonan said. “It’s playoffs, you always get guys’ best when they start fighting for it. Most of those guys fought today.”
Despite all momentum going to Marin, the Bear Cubs made sure to reassert their dominance to take the game. In the ninth inning, Santa Rosa loaded the bases for Sutherland who walked an RBI on a 3-2 count. Sutherland finished 2-4 with six RBIs.
“During my first or second swing in that at-bat I tried to overswing a little bit,” Sutherland said. “So I slowed my body down, tried to small in the zone a little bit, and got on base anyway.”
With the game tied, Wilson came through and drove a two RBI single to take the game back from the Mariners.
“We work on execution every single day,” Wilson said. “It’s the same situation, just executing what you gotta do, get a pitch and hit it hard to get them in.”
Clayton and Sebastiani drove three more insurance runs to make it 17-11 and pitcher Kessler Koch entered in the ninth to close the game.
Santa Rosa beat College of Marin 7-4 Sunday to advance to the NorCal Super Regionals.
Santa Rosa heads to Modesto to face Modesto Junior College in the NorCal Super Regionals in a best-of-three series from May 7-9.
