Bulldogs Win Twice, Upset Palomar to Advance to Super Regionals for First Time since 2010

Bulldogs Win Twice, Upset Palomar to Advance to Super Regionals for First Time since 2010
May 3, 2014

(San Marcos, CA) With their backs against the wall, the Bulldogs rallied to take two games to upset No.4 Palomar 3-2 and 8-2 in the Southern California Regional Playoffs on Saturday at Myers Field. Behind a walk-off hit from Jacob Witkowski, a four-hit effort from Cameron Ketchen and a stellar outing from Henry Fienga, the Allan Hancock College baseball team improved to 24-14-1 and earned a spot in the Super Regionals for the first time since 2010.

Palomar, which started the day on a 16-game winning streak, lost for the first time since March 15 and finished the season 28-11. The Comets were ranked No.19 in the nation according to the latest Perfect Game USA poll.

Witkowski singled to left to drive in Zach Nyman in the ninth inning to give Hancock a 3-2 walk-off win to force a third and decisive third game. The Bulldogs took an early 2-0 when Ryan Bendele singled home Witkowksi, while Ketchen followed with a single to plate Ryan Welker in the first inning.

Ryan Bower started for Hancock and went eight solid innings. The Lompoc High School graduate allowed just four hits and struck out four. The sophomore allowed an unearned run in the eighth and a sacrifice fly to center field in the ninth to allow the tying run to score. Zack Skipper recorded two outs in the ninth inning, while Fienga earned the win by escaping the jam in the ninth with 1/3 of an inning of scoreless relief.

The Bulldogs outhit the Comets 7-4 in the game thanks to two hits apiece from Witkowski, Welker and Bendele.  Hancock was the home team for the second game of the series, but returned to the visitor's dugout for the third game.

They outhit the Comets 14-6 in the decsive third game. Ketchen went 4 for 4, while Bendele and Welker had three hits apiece. Zach Nyman, back from a shoulder injury that kept him out several weeks, went 2 for 5.

Jesse Clingman started game three for the Bulldogs and scattered six hits and two runs and two walks in four innings. He struck out three. Head coach Chris Stevens turned to Fienga and the Cabrillo High School graduate responded with five hitless innings of relief to earn his second win of the day. The lefty improved to 3-0 on the season and after he walked two and struck out a pair.

Bendele collected a RBI-single and Ketchen clubbed a RBI-double in the first to give Hancock the early lead. The Bulldogs added four more in the third when Welker scored on an error by the catcher, Bendele came home on a wild pitch, and Angel Gonzalez and Ketchen scored on a fielder's choice and ensuing error by the Palomar second baseman.

Palomar scored twice in the fourth to cut the deficit to 6-2, but Hancock iced it with two more runs in the ninth as Bendele and Ketchen both scored on wild pitches.

The Bulldogs will play top seeded Orange Coast College in the second round. Orange Coast swept El Camino 2-0 in the first round.  The Pirates are 29-9 overall and eliminated the Bulldogs in the first round of the 2011 playoffs. Orange Coast features Tommy Bell, who ranks third in the state with a .425 average, and Chris Iriart, the state's leader with 8 home runs. Brothers Jacob and David Hill are a combined 19-1. Jacob, a left-hander, is 10-0 with a 1.33 ERA, while David, a right-hander, is 9-1 with a 1.22 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings.

All four Western State Conference North Division teams in the postseason advanced to the Super Regionals. Conference champion Oxnard, the No.2 seed, edged Oxnard 2-0 in the third game to advance. No.6 Santa Barbara beat San Bernardino 8-2 to win its series 2-0 to move on, while No.12 L.A. Pierce won twice over No.5 Cerritos to stay alive. 

Hancock travels to Orange Coast to open the series at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 9. The best-of-three-game series continues the following day with game two at 1 p.m.