BASE: Cougars Edge Owls To Earn Finals Berth

By Ben Schach, Sports Information Director, University of British Columbia

VANCOUVER – The Cal State San Marcos Cougars managed to hang on for a 7-6 win over the Oregon Tech Hustlin Owls on Tuesday afternoon at Nat Bailey Stadium to advance to the finals of the NAIA West National Qualifying Tournament.

 
It was another back-and-forth affair for the Cougars on Tuesday, as runs were scored in every inning but the fifth and eighth. They saw two separate leads evaporate before Josh Miller’s two-RBI single in the seventh inning game them a 7-5 advantage, which proved to be good enough to get the win.
 
Ryan Mauricio’s third hit of the game drove in Zach Earle in the ninth to make it a one-run game, and Mitchell Crim, who came in to run for Mauricio, made it as far as third base, but that was as close as the Owls would come to tying things up. Spencer Pardon came in to relieve Eric Julienne on the mound and pick up the final two outs of the ninth to earn the save.
 
 Julienne allowed one run over 2.1 innings of relief work to get the win. Starter Morgan Wynne gave up four runs on five hits over six innings. Oregon Tech starter Neil Emerson surrendered five runs on nine hits through six, and Chad Trevisan was hit with the loss after giving up the two runs without recording a single out.
 
Miller was the offensive catalyst for the Cougars, as he came up with four RBIs on the day. James Scott, Dane Ponciano and Austin Coleman also had RBIs for Cal State. Mauricio had two RBIs to lead the way for the Owls, while Dylan Hansen and Ryan Smith also drove in one run each.