Malibu scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and gave up just one run after the first three LA Baptist hitters in the top of the seventh reached base to come away with a 6-5 win this afternoon.
Sharks pitchers gave up 13 hits but tightened up when necessary. The Knights stranded 11 runners overall (including nine stranded at second and third bases) and left a runner on third base in every inning but the sixth. Four of the seven strikeouts recorded by Malibu's pitchers came with a runner at third.
Senior Nate Schoenbrun started for the Sharks and pitched into the fifth inning before turning a 2-0 lead over to Matt Cathcart. In keeping with the theme of high drama, Schoenbrun allowed LA Baptist's leadoff hitter to reach base every inning he pitched. Each leadoff hitter reached third base, but none scored until the fifth inning.
Malibu had a threat of its own turned back in the second inning. With two outs, Matt Bordier singled to left. Tony Gwyn followed with a double over the head of the left fielder, but Bordier was held at third and Monty Biglow struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, the Sharks broke through for two runs. With one out, Jacob Perrin doubled to left center. Stephen Williams reached second and Perrin moved to third on a throwing error by the Knights third baseman. Sean Conrad was hit on a 2-2 pitch to load the bases for Justin Hale. Hale grounded into the hole past third to drive in Perrin and Williams alertly scored when LA Baptist's shortstop booted the ball into short left field. The inning ended when Sean Conrad was doubled off second on Jesse Conrad’s pop out to short.
The Knights put together five hits in the fifth inning and took a 4-2 lead. Ryan Cathers led off with a double to left off of Schoenbrun. With a 2-1 count on cleanup hitter Jim Augur, Coach Paul Gallo replaced Schoenbrun on the mound with Matt Cathcart. Augur doubled to left to drive in Cathers. John Marshall reached first and Augur moved to third when Monty Biglow was unable to handle a tough hop at third off of Marshall’s bat. Anthony Scarcello drove in Augur and traded places with Marshall on a grounder to short. Nick Scarcello then singled to center. Pinch hitter Curtis Anderson then doubled to left center to drive in Anthony Scarcello with the go-ahead run. Evan DeYoung's base hit drove in Nick Scarcello and moved Anderson to third with just one out.
With leadoff hitter Aaron Engel at bat, Cathcart bore down and the Sharks made a game-changing play. On the first pitch from Cathcart, Engel missed a bunt attempt. A pitchout revealed no bunt or steal attempt. After throwing over to first twice, Cathcart fired a strike past Engel. Then, on a 1-2 pitch, Cathcart got Engel to strike out swinging and Williams completed a much-needed double play by throwing out Anderson attempting to steal second.
Knights starter Ethan Koskela seemed to tire in the top of the sixth inning and the Sharks were able to take advantage. Jesse Conrad led off with a four-pitch walk. Matt Bordier grounded to short to force Conrad at second. Gwyn then moved Bordier to second with his second hit of the afternoon, a single to left. Keith Lamasney, pinch hitting for Monty Biglow, got an infield hit to load the bases. With Schoenbrun at the plate, Bordier scored on a passed ball. Schoenbrun then walked to load the bases again.
Against a drawn-in infield and with the tying run ninety feet away, Jacob Perrin grounded to third. The throw home was in the dirt and bounced away allowing both Gwyn and Monty Biglow (running for Lamasney) to score. Stephen Williams lined out to third, but Schoenbrun dived back to the bag to avoid being doubled up. Sean Conrad then lined a ball off of the pitcher. As he went to field the ball near the third base line, Knights catcher Anthony Scarcello ran into Schoenbrun who was trying to score from third. The home plate umpire immediately called obstruction, which allowed Schoenbrun to score the Sharks' fourth run of the inning.
After Cathers replaced Koskela on the mound, Justin Hale was hit by a pitch to continue the inning. Jesse Conrad, up for the second time in the sixth inning, popped out to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, John Marshall drove Cathcart's first pitch into the gap in left for a double. With a one-ball count on Anthony Scarcello, Gallo brought in Gwyn to pitch. Gwyn walked Anthony Scarcello and then gave up a run-scoring single to Nick Scarcello. Steve Wood followed with a well-executed sacrifice bunt that moved the runners to second and third with only one out. Second baseman Monty Biglow made a nice play as Gwyn got DeYoung to pop out behind first base. On a 1-2 pitch, Aaron Engel flied to Matt Cathcart in shallow left to end the game.
The Sharks, now 2-1 on the season, wrap up the Southern California Invitational/Royal Tournament with games on Friday and Saturday. Locations and opponents will be announced on Thursday.
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