Los Medanos Mustangs force a decisive third game

Late-inning comeback ends the contest

Mohammad Najimi, Staff Writer

The Los Medanos Mustangs baseball team tied up the first-round series against the Ohlone Renegades with a 13-11 victory on May 6. It had thrilling action throughout, including a late-inning comeback for the Mustangs.

In the top of the second inning, Trudeau was taken off the mound and Ryan Radkey replaced him as a tactic to confuse the opponents. It worked for a few innings, but then it went downhill for LMC.

The game went quiet until the bottom of the second, when Ohlone opened up the scoring after a single by Nick Parker scored Ethan Liao from second. This outraged the Mustangs as they scored five runs in the top of the third inning. 

Seth Gwynn singled, scoring Mays from second while Trudeau advanced and stopped at second base. After a walk by Bubba Rocha, Michael Weber came up to the plate and sent the ball into the outfield for a double, scoring three runs and extending their lead to 4-1. Weber advanced to third base after a groundout by Borelli and scored by a balk on Shaver making it 5-1 after the third inning.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Radkey was in trouble as bases were loaded with one out. Radkey got Parker swinging to give him one out to get out of the inning. A pinch hitter came into the game for Nathan Wood and popped up to LMC shortstop Darrell Mays to get out of the inning with the score staying 5-1.

In the top of the fifth inning, Ethan Shaver was taken off the mound and Nate Rosser replaced him. LMC third baseman Ryan Pierce smashed a ball past the outfield fence for a two-run home run extending the LMC lead to 7-1.

This is the point where Ohlone made a huge comeback to take the lead going into the ninth inning. 

Liao doubled in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring two runners, and Will Linberg hit a double, scoring another run in the bottom of the sixth. Stevie Hom hit three-run home runs in the bottom of the seventh, with Jeremy Hill doubling and scoring a run for LMC. Then, Nico Torrez doubled, scoring another run for LMC in the top of the eighth, and Jackson Nystrom doubled and scored for Ohlone in the bottom of the eighth. Liao singled, scoring another run for Ohlone, with Hom doubled scoring two more runs for Ohlone ending the scoring at 11-9 into the final inning of the game.

In the ninth inning, LMC had their own comeback scoring four runs. The inning started with a double by Ryan Pierce. Rocha singled allowing Pierce to advance to third base. Rocco Borelli came up to the plate and hit a single, scoring Pierce and getting LMC within one run from tying the game. 

Khamani Blakney then came to the plate looking for a base hit as both Borelli and Rocha advanced on a wild pitch by the Ohlone pitcher. Blakney swung and watched as the ball went over the outfield fence for a three-run home run reclaiming the lead for LMC. LMC took a 13-11 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning with three outs to go from forcing a decisive third game.

LMC pitcher AJ Gamboa was on the mound as he had to face the number eight, nine and leadoff hitters in the lineup for the Renegades. Parker flew out, Owen Prendergast pinch hit for Caovinh Nguyen and flew out, giving LMC one more out for the victory. Matt Leiterman came to the plate and flew out, ending the game and forcing a decisive third game on May 7 at 1 p.m.