Posted: Mar 04, 2018
Beeville, Texas On Sunday afternoon, March 4th Coastal Bend was set to start off a four game home series with Ridgewater College out of Minnesota.
Ruben Sepulveda recieved the start for the first game of the double header. Sepulveda started off the first inning by retiring the Warrior hitters in order. The Cougar weren't able to get things going offensively until the bottom of the second inning. After getting hit by a pitch, Bo Gonzales got on a first base. Following two consecutive outs, Kyler Bumstead was able to draw a walk. With two Cougar runners on, Mitchell Sexton hit a double down the third base line to collect an RBI. Joel Rodriguez would draw a walk to load the bases for Josh Burnett. Burnett would lace a pitch to the left center field wall for a bases clearing double to put Coastal Bend up 4-0. A flyout ended the four run inning for the Cougars.
In the bottom of the third inning, Ruben Sepulveda lead the inning off with a single up the middle. After stealing second base, Sepulveda moved to third off a ground out From Gonzales. Jared Irvine hit a grounder to Ridgewaters second baseman who attempted to throw out Sepulveda at home but throw was wild and Sepulveda was safe. Irvine advanced to second base on the error. Bumstead would switch places with Irvine one batter later as he hit a double for a run to put Coastal Bend up 6-0 before a groundout would end the inning for the Cougars. During the fourth inning, after walking three consecutive CBC batters in Burnett, Gochenour & Sepulveda, Gonzales came to the plate with one out & bases loaded. Gonzales crushed a ball to left center field for a Grand Slam to put the Cougars up 10-0.
Sepulveda went on to pitch a five inning no hitter, facing 16 batters with three strikeouts and allowing two walks to secure the win. Sepulveda made school history by recording the first no hitter by a single pitcher. The Cougars recorded a combined no hitter against Laredo Community College in the Spring of 2017.
Game 2
The Cougars started the reigning National Pitcher of The Week in NJCAA Division III Baseball in Marco Becerril. Becerril diced up two Warrior hurts in the first inning & was able to get the next batter to flyout to left field. Following a walk from Burnett and a Hit By Pitch on Gochenour's at bat, Sepulveda crushed a ball to right center field to score the two CBC base runners. Coastal Bend now leading 2-0, Gonzales hit a sacrifice fly to center field to advance Sepulveda.
Becerril process to work quickly in the second inning with 10 pitch second inning. Luis Castellano's lead the Cougars off with a single to left field. Bumstead would hit an RBI double to score Castellano's but would get thrown out as he attempted to advance to third base. Following a groundout from Sexton, Rodriguez would come up to bat and hit a solo home run to left center field to put the Cougars up four to zero with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. With theee consecutive walks to Burnett, Gochenour and Sepulveda, the Deja Vu would happen as bases would be loaded for Gonzales again. But a pop up to center field to end the scoring threat for Coastal Bend.
After walking a batter to begin the third inning, Becerril managed to pick him off. The second batter whiffed on a pitch to strike out for the second out on the inning. A Warriors batter hit a deep fly ball that looked like trouble, but Rodriguez in center field made a superb diving catch for the third out to end the top of the third inning. We move ahead in the ball game to the top of the fourth inning as Becerril struck out two Ridgewater batters efficiently but finally surrendered a hit for the games first hit, breaking up the no hit bid. Becerril would get the next hitter to fly out to center field to end the top of the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, with two outs, Gochenour drew bases on balls. After stealing second base, Sepulveda would hit a single off the second baseman's glove to score Gochenour. Sepulveda stole second base, but the inning would end after a fly out to left field from Gonzales. Becerril had another quick inning of work allowing only one hit before ending the side.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, with one out, Castellano's was hit by a pitch. That brought up Bumstead to the plate for the Cougars. Bumstead barreled up a pitch to left center field for a two run home run to put CBC up seven to zero. With Sexton and Rodriguez drawing walks, Burnett hit into a fielders choice but the Cougars were quick to avoid an out, to load the bases for Gochenour. Gochenour hit a double to bring in two Cougar runs. Burnett on third & Gochenour on second with one out, Enrique Garcia entered the game to pinch hit, but grounded out to shortstop for the second out. Gonzales came to the plate & hit a single to left field to end the game in the fifth inning, scoring Burnett for the 10th run of the ballgame to run rule Ridgewater College. The Cougars would win the game 10-0. Becerril pitched a one hit gem as he finished with one walk and six strike outs for his five innings of work as he faced 16 batters. Becerril is now 5-0 on the season.
Game 3
On Monday, March 5th, Colton Getschmann received the nod for the first game of the double header. Getschmann operated quickly in the first inning, retiring the side in order.
Joel Rodriguez started off the game for the Cougars by drawing a walk. After a strikeout from the next Coastal Bend batter, Jordan Gochenour Hit an RBI Double to deep center field to score Rodriguez. With Gochenour on second base, Ruben Sepulveda would come to the plate for the Cougars and snack a ball over the right field fence for a home run to put the Cougars up 3-0. Following a flyout from the next CBC hitter, Ridgewater would walk two consecutive batters in Jared Irvine and Jason Ingersoll for runners on first and second base. Kyler Bumstead would enter the batters box and hit a double into the left center field gap to score Irvine and place Ingersoll at third base. Mitchell Sexton would load the bases for Rodriguez, as he was hit by a pitch. A passed ball would score Ingersoll for the fifth run of the inning for the Cougars.
Moving to the bottom of the third inning, Coastal Bend would erupt for six more runs to expand their lead over Ridgewater, 11-0. Rodriguez would record a stolen base as well as two rbi's to go with his double for the first game of the afternoon. Josh Burnett also had a stolen base as he had a single that brought in two Cougar runs. Sepulveda filled up the stat sheet with four rbi's to with his home run. Gochenour also had a nice game at the dish, as he had a double, a triple for an rbi. Gonzales knocked in a double and so would his teammate Bumstead, whom collected an rbi during his at bat.
Getschmann pitched a solid four innings for the Cougars, striking out four Warriors on the afternoon while only allowing two hits for no runs. Ethan Summers closed out the game in the top of the fifth before the run rule came into effect. Summers allowed two hits while also striking out a Ridgewater batter before getting the final out of the game.
Game 4
Tyler Dick would start off the final game of the four game series between the Cougars and the Warriors of Ridgewater College. Dick would go for two and a third of an inning, striking out five of the 14 batters he faced giving up no runs off five hits. Mason Foster entered the game during the third inning allowing only on hit that went for a solo home run. Foster also struck out a batter and for his inning and two thirds of work. Haden Borden also pitched one inning for CBC allowing two earn runs from three hits. Borden struck out a Warrior during his inning of play. Will Lennon entered the game in the sixth inning to shut down Ridgewater bats, earning the Save for Coastal Bend. Lennon surrendered only one hit and struck out two hitters in his two innings of action.
The Cougars offense was led by Bumstead as he had three rbi's to go with his double and triple for the game. Burnett collected two rbi's for the game, while hitting a single and a double. Rodriguez also hit a single for an rbi. CBC went on to win the finale, 7-4 over Ridgewater College.
Coastal Bend is currently on a 11 game win streak. The Cougars will take the field on Saturday, March 10th as they host South Suburban College for a Double Header at 1:00 PM at Joe Hunter Field.