(Walnut, CA) The Mt. SAC Baseball Team scored eight runs in the eighth inning to break 5-5 tie, advancing the Mounties to the Super Regionals with a 15-10 win. The marathon 4-hour game swept Santa Barbara City College out of the CCCAA Regional which was held on Saturday afternoon at Mazamanian Field.
The 25 runs was most combined runs of the season and propelled the No. 4 seed Mounties into the Super Regional for the first time in five years.
Mt. SAC (31-11) will host No. 5 Glendale College (24-19), on Friday, May 11 in a best of three series.
Leading the offensive outburst was designated hitter Nic Sandoval (3 for 4, 2R, HR, Dbl., Sac Fly, SB) with a season-high seven RBIs.
"I was seeing the ball well (Saturday), not trying to do too much and to come through for my team," Sandoval said.
Included in the big day at the plate for Sandoval was an inside the park, two-run home run.
"I hit a line drive to left field, he dove for it and it got by him," Sandoval said. "As I was coming to third I was praying that (third base coach Scott Zine) would give me the wheel home. I saw that, he said 'you got to go hard' and I scored."
"We don't have any quit on this team and even when we're down we're still fighting back."
Fight back they did as the Mounties scored those eight runs on seven hits, sending 12 batters to the plate.
"We are just really excited about the upcoming opportunity to host a playoff series versus Glendale," Head Coach John Knott said. "We know how difficult and talented Glendale is, but we are excited about the opportunity to compete against them.
"We were able to advance because a number of guys contributed and found ways to chip in during both games. Nic Sandoval really sparked us with five huge, two-out RBIs."
Included in the 14-hit attack were three other players with multiple hits – second baseman Ryon Knowles (3 for 6, R), center fielder Quinn Cotter (2 for 3, 3R, 2 RBIs, Dbl.) and left fielder Elijah Greene (2 for 5, R, 2 RBIs, Tpl., SB). Shortstop Elijah Zaragoza also contributed with a run-scoring triple.
Steven Ordorica (6-1) picked up his sixth win, all in relief and Zach Bromstead closed the door with two innings, allowing only one hit.
"On the mound we were able to get good pitching in relief from Matt Garcia," added Knott. "He was able to extend the game to give Ordorica and Bromstead a chance to close it."
After the Mounties put an 8-spot on the board in the eighth, the Gauchos came right back with five of their own in the bottom half of the inning to close within 13-10.
However, the Mounties scored two big insurance runs in the ninth.
Nic Sandoval hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Justin Mchale and Greene singled in Cotter.
"We had some good chemistry early back in the fall and we knew then that we had something special," replied Cotter. "Coach Knott has been talking about us being trailblazers and paving the way for the future."
"It's been great being part of this run..."
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