On Thursday, April 18th, SAC baseball took on the Los Angeles Harbor Seahawks for game two of a three-game series after they took the first game in grand fashion by a final of 8-0.

Sophomore Kyle Calzadiaz (16) took the rubber for game two in hopes of claiming the series victory at home.

The Seahawks were able to grab an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a dropped strike three to the leadoff hitter Ryan Lopetugi (outfielder, 27). Lopetugi (27) would get into scoring position shortly after reaching base as Calzadiaz (16) would balk. A single from freshman right fielder Randy Martinez (1) would put runners at the corners with nobody out as Calzadiaz (16) was stuck in a first-inning jam.

Seahawks designated hitter Brandon Lepe (freshman, 24) would hit one back to the mound where Calzadiz would corral it and nab Lopetegui (27) in a rundown. However, while the infield had the runner caught up at home, Martinez (1) would move over to third and Lepe (24) would take second putting two in scoring position with one away.

Seahawks first baseman and cleanup hitter MJ Norquist (freshman, 42) would drive in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to sophomore right fielder Blake Haggerty (23) that brought in Martinez (1) which also moved Lepe (24) to third.

Sophomore shortstop Julian Galvan (4) would execute with two outs in the inning and rope a double to drive in Lepe (24) as the second run of the inning.

Calzadiaz (16) would strand Galvan (4) at second following a ground out from sophomore third baseman Ethan Kang (2) to SAC freshman third baseman Andrew Walters (26).

SAC’s bats would jump start with a one-out single in the bottom of the first by sophomore first baseman Gibby Morales (34) who would reach second on a passed ball moments later.

A walk from Walters (26) and a single by sophomore designated hitter Kaden Moeller (33) would load the bases for freshman second baseman Diego Ortiz (9). Ortiz (9) took advantage of the bases-loaded opportunity and would bring in Morales (34) and Walters (26) to even the game, 2-2.

After a passed ball to move the runners into second and third, sophomore center fielder Braydn France (15) would give SAC the lead on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. SAC stranded a couple of runners after sophomore left fielder Jeul Quemada (21) would pop out to conclude the first inning.

Kyle Calzadiaz (sophomore, 16, not pictured) blows a fastball by catcher Jacob Reffner (freshman, 23, right) for strike three for the second out in the top half of the second inning.

Calzadiaz (16) would settle down in the second inning with a 1-2-3 inning, retiring two of the three batters via strikeouts. Calzadiaz (16) would throw another scoreless inning in the top of the third to protect SAC baseball’s one-run lead.

The lineup would jump on Izquierda (25) once more in the bottom of the third after Moeller (33) hit a one-out triple. Ortiz (9) would provide some insurance with a sacrifice fly to the center fielder to bring in Moeller (33) to make it 4-2.

With one out in the inning and nobody on, France (15) would drill a home run to right field to extend SAC’s lead, 5-2.

Calzadiaz (16) would stay in a groove as the Seahawks could not score in the fourth inning. Following an error by Walters (26), Calzadiaz (16) punched out the next batter and induced a ground ball to sophomore shortstop Andrew Ramirez (2) to turn the unassisted double play to end the inning.

The offense would keep rolling in the fourth with a leadoff walk from sophomore catcher Daniel Briones (29) and a single by Ramirez (2) would put a couple of runners on with no one out. A deep flyout to left center from Hagerty (23) would advance Briones (29) into third, making it runners on the corners with one out. Morales (34) would produce the third sacrifice fly of the game for SAC. Walters (26) would bring in another run thanks to an error by Seahawks shortstop Julian Galva (4).

SAC settled with the two runs in the fourth inning to make it a 7-2 ballgame.

Calzadiaz (16) would go back out for the fifth inning and toss his third 1-2-3 the game after inducing a groundout to third, a flyout to right field and capped off the inning with his sixth strikeout of the game.

The bottom of the fifth would see SAC baseball bring across three more runners as Ortiz (9) would kick start the inning with a single. Ortiz (9) would safely find his way to second as Seahawks freshman catcher Jacob Reffner (15) would allow him to advance on his second passed ball of the game.

France (15) would drive in his third run of the game with a single and later swipe second. Quemada (21) would strike out for the first out of the inning. Daniel Briones (29) split the left-center field gap to cruise into second for a one-out, RBI double that brought in France (15).

Another passed ball by Reffner (15) would allow Briones (29) to move over and set Ramirez (2) up for the sac fly to left field. By the end of the fifth, SAC baseball’s lead had grown to 10-2.

That would be Izquireda’s (26) final inning on the mound as he posted six earned runs, two walks and 4 strikeouts though five innings pitched.

Calzadiaz (16) on the other hand, would go back out for his sixth inning of work. Allowing the lead-off man, Lopetugi (27) to get aboard for his first and only hit of the game. Martinez (1) would drop a bunt to Calzadiaz (16) to slide Lopetegui (27) over to second.

While the Seahawks threatened to score with the runner on second, Calzadiaz (16) would cover first on a groundout and end the top half of the sixth with a strikeout.

Calzadiaz (16) would complete his strong outing in the seventh.

After allowing the first batter of the inning to reach after hitting him, Calzadiaz (16) was given a chance at an easy out but overthrew it into right field over Morales’s (34) head for an error. Fortunately, the error was overturned into an out as the runner Kang (2) was running on the inner part of the basepath.

Calzadiaz (16) would end the inning and outing by striking out the next two batters he faced, posting 11 strikeouts, two earned runs and not walking a single batter.

When asked about his stellar outing, Calzadiaz said, “I really just like to give my guys a shot, so when I’m filling up the zone, I’m able to stay in the game as long as I can.”

Sophomore southpaw Alejandro Morales (22) took the ball for the eighth inning and would preserve Calzadiaz’s (16) two-run masterpiece as he gave up just one hit while sitting down two on strikeouts.

The offense made it a 10-run deficit after drawing across two more runs in the eighth inning, as Briones (29) would get on after notching his second hit of the game. He worked his way to third after Ramirez (2) reached on an error and a fielder’s choice would lead to him coming home on another passed ball by Reffner (15).

Freshman infielder Nick Mejia (18) would pinch-hit for Kaden Moeller (33) with bases loaded and would rip a single as everyone moved station to station to bring Hagerty (23) home.

Morales (22) would close out the game in the ninth. After giving up a one-out single to Galvan (4), he would deceive Galvan (4) with a slick pick-off move to record the out at second after Morales (34) threw him out at second. Morales (22) would record the final out with a swinging strikeout to secure SAC baseball’s ninth win in the last ten games.

SAC now improves to 13-7 in conference play as we close in on the end of the season.

When asked how the team can finish strong, head coach John Knott said, “The goal would be to try to backboard and finish second and we would need a little bit of luck but we can win one in a row.” Knott wants his team to control what they have control over and “just play what is in front of us, there’s still areas we can get better.”

SAC baseball’s final home game of the regular season will be on Thursday, April 25th at 2:00 p.m.