The San Diego Mesa Olympians faced Southwestern with a 6-5 victory in their final game of the regular season on April 25. After previously going 2-3 against Southwestern, Mesa needed the win to split the season series.
The game started with Southwestern outfielder Jacob May hitting a double, then infielder Alejandro McKay hit a double, bringing in the first run.
Mesa responded quickly, with center fielder Ethan Wright hitting a single, then first baseman Frank Giacalone hit a home run, giving Mesa the lead.
Mesa’s starting pitcher, Brian Nunez, pitched one inning, allowing three hits, a run and one strikeout. With Nunez out of the game, new pitcher Finn Royer entered the game.
In the top of the second inning, center fielder Ivan Murillo hit a single. May then hit a single, which drew in the tying run.
At the bottom of the second inning, second baseman Alejandro Leyva hit a single, then third baseman Mason Gallego walked. Catcher Landen Bailey hit a single and drove in the go-ahead run, making the score 3-2.
The third and fourth innings both went on to be scoreless for both teams.
In the top of the fifth inning, May hit a single, then third baseman Maddox Haley hit a go-ahead home run.
Mesa was quick to respond, with Gallego walking, then Wright hitting a single. Then left fielder Gavin Gamino hit a double, driving in both runs, taking the lead again, making the score 5-4.
The sixth inning was scoreless by both Southwestern and Mesa.
Royer pitched five innings, allowing five hits, three runs, one strikeout and one home run.
New pitcher Cole Roberts entered the game and didn’t allow Southwestern to get any runs in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, Wright hit a triple, then Giacalone flew out to left field, getting a sacrifice run.
The eighth inning went on to be scoreless for both teams.
In the top of the ninth, with Southwestern trailing by two, Haley singled and McKay singled. Then Mesa’s pitcher, Roberts, was taken out of the game.
Roberts pitched 2-2/3 innings, allowing five hits, one run and two strikeouts. New pitcher, Nate Cena, entered the game with the hopes of ending it.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, infielder Matthew Duran walked. Haley then scored on a wild pitch, and McKay and Duran advanced bases, making the score 6-5. Cena then struck out outfielder Gehrig Syms to end the game.
Cena pitched ⅓ of an inning, allowing no hits, no runs and getting one strikeout.
The final score of the game was 6-5.
With this being the last game of the regular season, there were bittersweet feelings among the team.
“At least I could say we ended with a win, these guys all year, we fought, and we did what we did, and we did what we can today…If playoffs happen, they happen, but either way, we fought until the end and I’m really proud of what we did this year,” said Gamino.
Head coach Jake Portugal expressed how proud he was, but also how sad this moment was. Portugal expressed how many of the guys on the team were coming back from injury for this game, so he was proud they could finish off their season.
“Just to think how much time we spent together on this field for the last two years together, sad we won’t have those moments together anymore, but excited that we get to keep playing in the postseason and that’s a good gift for the hard work that the teams put in,” said Portugal.
Mesa’s first game in the postseason is May 2, at Santa Ana, at 2 p.m.. Mesa will continue to play them on May 3, with a double header starting at 11 a.m., then 2 p.m. for Game 3, if necessary.
