The Park University Gilbert baseball team came into the weekend in the driver's seat to qualify for the Cal Pac Conference Baseball Tournament. But after being beaten by Embry Riddle 20-14 this afternoon in Prescott, Ariz., the Buccaneers walk away from the series having been swept out of the playoffs after Marymount California pulled off a ninth inning come from behind victory on Saturday against Saint Katherine to put themselves in the playoffs instead.
The Buccaneers finish the year 20-27, 14-14 in the Cal Pac. The Buccaneers finished tied with Marymount but lost the tie breaker after losing the season series to the Mariners.
Things looked bright at the start as the Bucs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and a 6-1 lead after the top of the third. ERAU answered with six runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Five came off of Bucs starter Joseph Chavira who was not helped by multiple fielding errors. Of the six runs Chavira allowed in 2.1 innings, only two were earned.
The Eagles then put the game seemingly out of reach in the fourth inning by putting up eight runs off of Logan White, who came in relief for Chavira in the third and Frank Racioppo. White gave up six runs in one inning of work as he took the loss. Racioppo gave up three more. Luke Richards came on to hold the Eagles in check, tossing two scoreless innings.
After cutting the deficit to four, Reliver Jose Zubia surrendered five runs in the bottom of the eighth to break the game open and put the final nail in the Bucs coffin The Bucs did not go quietly, scoring three more in the top of ninth, but it was not enough.
In the three games against the Eagles this weekend, the Park Gilbert pitching staff allowed 46 runs. 19 more than they allowed in any other conference series this season.
At the plate, Joey Martinez went 4-5 with five RBI, while seniors Alex Stinnett (2 hits), Aaron Lizarraga (3-6, 2 RBI), and Austin Chouinard (4-5, 3 RBI) closed out their Buccaneers careers with a flourish.
Head Coach Kelly Stinnett says goodbye to 20 seniors who donned the Maroon and Gold over the first three seasons in program history as the Buccaneers will now look to 2023 to make their first postseason appearance.
