Isaiah Marquez’s clutch walk-off two-run home run was capped off with a lingering battle against Sonoma State University Seawolves, winning three out of the four games at the end of March. The Golden Eagles improved their record to 17-13, putting them in second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Friday, March 28, saw an onslaught of runs from the Golden Eagles as they would win the first game 17-5. Third baseman Kadyn Victorian had two home runs in the game, which was followed by a strong bullpen outing from Anthony Lopez, Isaac Quintero, Elihjah Bobo, Mosies Escobedo, and Johnathan Manuel, held Sonoma State to five runs.
“It felt great to get two home runs. I told myself I only wanted one this season. I can’t be mad with two home runs,” said Victorian on his stellar performance.
Contribution also came from teammate Isiash Marquez, who had four hits while scoring five runs from the leadoff spot. Teammates Cesar Chavez, Alberto Prado, and Ben Lee tallied seven combined runs. The win extended the Golden Eagles’ winning streak to seven, placing them first in the conference.
”It was a bullpen day, and they did their job today by throwing strikes. Then bats were really hot today, knocking out 19 hits. It was a pretty good day,” coach Vince Beringhele said on his team’s stellar performance.
Double header time for both teams Saturday, March 39 as the Golden Eagles capitalized on a win in the first match-up. Heading into the second inning, Sonoma State scored two runs off a Bryson MCarn two-run home run. Sonoma State would tact two runs in the next two innings, which gave the Seawolves a 6-2 lead. The Golden Eagles got the wheels turning in the fourth inning, scoring five runs, which gave them a 7-6 lead. Alberto Prado began the inning with a solo home run, with his teammates Kai Penuelas, Isaiah Marquez, and Ben Lee contributing to the Golden Eagles rally.
The Seawolves tried to make a comeback in the game but failed to capitalize. The Golden Eagles put the dagger in the seventh inning by adding four more runs. The Golden Eagles began with back-to-back doubles from Javy Espinoza and Carson Panarisi, putting up 10-7. Marquez tacked on more runs with a two-run single, putting the game out of reach 12-7. The win extended their winning streak to eight games.
Game two of the doubleheader didn’t favor the Golden Eagles, as they had no answers for Michael Panichi, who pitched seven scoreless innings and only allowed three hits while striking out nine Golden Eagles. Pitcher Brandon Gurtiezz pitched six innings, but his only blemish was giving up four earned runs. Home runs from Garret Barto and Evan Merz and an RBI single from Ben Saitz was enough to give the Seawolves a 4-0 victory in game two, ending the Golden Eagle’s eight-game winning streak.
The final game saw Sonoma State come out of the gate, scoring the game’s first run in the second inning with a Barto double that scored Merz from second base. Golden Eagles second baseman Javy Espinoza responded with a two-run home in the bottom half, giving the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead. The Seawolves quickly responded with a solo home run from Barto in the top of the fourth inning tying the score 2-2. Both teams traded blows as each would score run after run, and neither team did not give in under all that pressure. Entering the eighth inning, Sonoma State had a 6-5 lead on the Golden Eagles, scoring two runs in the top of the sixth and seventh innings.
The Golden Eagles mustered out an eighth-inning rally that tied the game 6-6 from an Esponiza fielder-choice, leading to a throwing error by Seawolf’s second baseman. That allowed Gonzalez to score from third on the error. The Golden Eagles’ pitching held the Seawolves to zero runs in the top of the inning. At the bottom of the ninth, things got intense for the Golden Eagles, beginning with a Victorian hit-by-pitch. Isaiah Marquez came up to the plate in the bottom 9th. On a 2-1 count, Marquez hit the two-run walk-off home run, sending the Golden Eagles into a celebration mood.
“Honestly, I was just in the moment. I didn’t want the adrenaline to get the best of me. Just be as calm and be able to do right there,” said Marquez.
