The Park University Gilbert baseball team's struggle continues as its losing streak extended to seven games as it dropped a double header to Marymount California this afternoon 6-2 and 8-6 at Tempe Diablo Field No. 2. With these two losses, the Bucs were swept by the Mariners (6-10, 6-0) in the weekend Cal Pac series and dropped the Buccaneers to 3-14 overall and 2-4 in the Cal Pac.
Game 1 – Marymount California 6, Park Gilbert 2
Park Gilbert could not get the bats going as it could only muster two runs on its seven hits for the game. Of those seven hits, four came from the eight and nine spots in the Bucs order as third baseman Aaron Lizarraga and Logan Livingston each went 2-3, with Livingston driving home Lizarraga with a single to right in the fifth. Austin Chouinard drove in the other run in the eighth with a single to center.
Bucs starting pitcher Luke Richards took the loss as he gave up four runs in 4.1 innings of work walking two, striking out three. Nick Marcon finished the game, throwing 4.2 innings allowing two runs (one earned), striking out two.
Game 2 – Marymount California 8, Park Gilbert 6
The Bucs managed to keep this one close early, but a blow up eighth inning doomed their chances of taking the final game in the three-game series with the Mariners.
MCU jumped out to a 3-0 lead on two home runs against Buccaneer starter Joseph Chavira, a solo shot in the first by Antonio Diaz and a two-run blast off the bat of Braxton King in the fourth. The Bucs answered back in the bottom half of the fourth on a Logan White single and Joel Adamson sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 3-2.
Chavira (1-1) was pulled in favor of Jose Zubia in the sixth. Zubia was touched up for one unearned run in the sixth and four more in the eighth (3 earned) which put the Bucs behind by six.
Park Gilbert was able to cut the lead by three in the bottom half of the eighth, all with two outs. Cade Maestas got the rally going with a single, followed by a double by Adamson. Julian Garcia Schroeder then grounded a ball that got past the Mariners third baseman which allowed Maestas and Adamson to score and Garcia Schroeder to move to second. Alex Stinnett then laced a single to right to drive in Garcia Schroeder.
One more run came across in the ninth as Joey Martinez tripled before coming home on a White ground out. But that was all the Bucs could muster as Maestas struck out to end the game.
The Buccaneers will try to get back on track on Tuesday, March 14 as they travel to Surprise, Ariz., to take on Ottawa (Arizona) for their third non-conference game against the Spirit. The two teams have split the first two games in the series this season.
