TURLOCK —
Jack Large homered again and
Vinny Margiotta provided the game-winning hit. Then the Stanislaus pitching was able to limit the Sonoma State offense as the Warriors won the series finale, 3-2, in seven innings to avoid the series sweep.
The Warriors won this one-run game to improve to 9-7 overall and even their record in the CCAA at 5-5. Sonoma State is now 8-6 overall and 4-4 in league play after taking the first three games of the season all by one run, including Monday's game one, 2-1.
Stanislaus State has now played in five straight one-run games. Of the 16 games this season, 15 of them were decided by two runs or less.
In Monday's 7-inning nightcap, Large gave the Warriors an early 1-0 lead in the first inning with his fourth homer of the season. Down 2-1,
Ethan Utler drove in
Braeden Oki to tie the game.
Then in the fourth inning, Margiotta doubled downed the left-field line with two outs to score
John Holleran as the eventual game-winner.
On the mound,
Nicholas Gonzales was sharp in relief. He threw 3 1/3 innings and gave up just one hit to earn the win.
Jarrett Veiga threw the sixth inning, but loaded the bases before getting out of the jam with two strike outs. In the seventh,
Chase Wheatcroft shut the door again with an easy 1-2-3 inning with two Ks for his eighth save in eight chances.
Large also had a single and RBI in the first game but the Warriors were held to just five hits. A triple and double by the Seawolves in the sixth inning was the difference in the close game.
For the series, with four games played over a 29-hour time frame, Large batted .438 (7-for-16 with two homers and drove in three scores) and extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Brandon De La Guardia had five hits with two doubles and
Braeden Oki went 5-for-16 with two stolen bases. Oki stretched his hitting streak to nine games and has reached base in all 16 games this season.
The Warriors will play all four games next week in Hayward against Cal State East Bay. The series begins on Friday, March 9 at 2 p.m. at Pioneer Baseball Field.