Cougar Basball Drops Pair of Close Games in Season Opener
1/28/07

In what became the team’s opening day after a rainout earlier in the week, Cougar baseball fought valiantly but fell to Master’s in both games of Saturday’s double-header.  Master’s won game one 4-2 on the strength of four early runs, and came back late to steal game two by a score of 3-2.

In the first contest, Cougar starter David Julio was roughed up for 4 runs (3 earned) in three innings of work.  He nearly escaped the first, but a two-out two-run homer by Master’s Joe Zeller put CSUSM down 2-0 early.  After the Cougars’ Jason Hinton scored on a Tristan Gale single in the top of the third to bring the game to 2-1, Master’s plated another pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to push the lead to 4-1.  The lead nearly evaporated in the 9^th, as CSUSM loaded the bases with nobody out – but was only able to plate one run on an Austin Coleman groundout. 

Zeller’s home run wasn’t his only contribution; he was fantastic on the mound.  He held the Cougars to just one run in seven innings of work, striking out seven.  Graham Miller survived the ninth inning to notch his first save of the season. 

For CSUSM, the clear bright spot from the game was Jared Suwyn.  In his first game in Cougar blue, the senior relieved Julio in the 4^th and promptly hurled 4 innings of scoreless, 1-hit ball.  He struck out four and walked just one. 

Game two would unfold quite differently, but unfortunately for the Cougars, the result would be the same.  CSUSM jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the 7-inning contest, thanks to a Ricardo Moran double.

Cougar starting pitcher Steve Triolo posted an excellent debut, giving the team 4 innings of solid 1-run ball.  He walked three and struck out three, surrendering just two hits.

CSUSM carried their tenuous 2-0 lead into the 5^th, where it would begin to come undone.  Master’s led off with a double, chasing Triolo from the game, and an RBI single by Pete Goeman off Cougar reliever Eric Julienne made the score 2-1.  They would tally another off a Cougar error in the 6^th, knotting the game at two.

Master’s reliever Brian Reiner held the Cougars scoreless in the top of the seventh, and picked up the win as his teammate Steve Shaver looped a bases-loaded single to left field to end the game.