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POMONA, Calif. - The postseason magic continued for the San Francisco State baseball team as they scored four in the eighth and another in the ninth to defeat top-seeded Cal State Monterey Bay 5-4 and force a winner-take-all game.
The Otters had a 4-0 lead, and starter Ryan Platero cruised through the first six innings, allowing only one hit. But as they had done all the tournament, the Gators stormed back with a late rally.
The CCAA's leading RBI man, Justin Johnson, set the table for a four-run seventh with a leadoff double. After a hit by pitch to Derek LaFerriere, AJ Schrader singled to load the bases. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Kyle Olimpia and Nicholas Allred cut the lead to 4-2.
With one out and a runner on first, the Otters went to Ryan Io out of the pen. Io had been unhittable in 2.2 innings of high-leverage work this tournament. Anthony Alvarez got a single on the first pitch he threw and put two runners on. They would advance later in Armando Murillo's at-bat, and he would bring in both runs with a single to the third baseman that skipped past the first baseman on the throw to tie the game at 4-4.
Johnson would lead off again at the top of the eighth and come around with the game-winning run. He singled up the middle and advanced to third on a sac bunt and fielder's choice. Nick Allred came through with the clutch two-out single through the left side to score Johnson with the go-ahead run.
The Otters put their leadoff hitter on at the bottom of the eighth, but Jaden Sheppard was erased on a double play by the next batter.
James Kobylt earned his first win of the season with three scoreless innings in relief. He allowed three hits and a walk. Nathan Shinn earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, his second of the season.
Ryan Platero went 6.2 innings, allowing three hits and three runs. He walked two and struck out two.
With the win, SF State forces a winner-take-all game to determine who will earn the conference's automatic bid to next week's regional and be crowned the 2024 CCAA Baseball Tournament Championship.