Baseball Survives Late Rally, Earns Big 5-4 Win at San Bernardino
4/25/08

Box Score

With just three games left in their season, Cougar baseball is doing all it can bolster its playoff resume.  On Friday, they earned a big win at NCAA opponent Cal State San Bernardino, holding on to take it 5-4.

Taking the mound in the biggest start of his Cougar career, Johnny Holtman was brilliant.  The righty has been CSUSM's most consistent starter for a good portion of the season, and was lights-out for seven full innings on Friday.  He scattered seven hits, allowing just one earned run while striking out four and walking none.

He got  some quality support from the Cougar lineup.  CSUSM tallied its first run in the third, on three consecutive two-out singles from Austin Way, Tristan Gale, and Terry Moritz.

The Coyotes tied it up in the bottom of the inning, and got an unearned run the following frame to take a 2-1 lead.  

But the sixth proved to be the pivotal inning.  Dane Ponciano led off by reaching on an error, Johnny Omahen drew a walk, and a fielder's choice advanced them.  With two outs, the inning fell into Louie Russo's hands - and he delivered a big RBI single to left.  Gale then reached on a crucial error that plated two runs, and Moritz laced an RBI single to center, making it 5-2.

After Holtman threw two more scoreless innings, CSUSM looked to have the game in hand.  But the bullpen sputtered, and the Coyotes rallied.  The Cougars' two top relievers, Eric Julienne and David Julio, combined to walk five of the six hitters they faced, allowing two runs and leaving two runners in scoring position with one out in the eighth.

With the 5-4 lead hanging by a threat, the game was saved (literally and figuratively) by an unlikely source.  Auggie Richardson, a soft-throwing lefty who had thrown just 9 innings this year, entered into the seemingly impossible situation, and got out of it.  He quickly induced a 6-4-3 double-play to extricate himself from the eighth, then threw a hitless ninth to pick up his first save, and secure the huge win for the Cougars.

CSUSM will have a chance to further make its case for the playoffs when they play a double-header against these same Coyotes Saturday at Escondido High.