State Community College Baseball Tournament : San Diego Mesa Edges Sacramento City, 7-6

LONG BEACH — San Diego Mesa College managed to stay alive in its first appearance in the State community college baseball championships Saturday night.

The Olympians scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and defeated Sacramento City, 7-6, at Blair Field.

San Diego Mesa (35-7) plays Long Beach City today at 10 a.m. with the winner playing a 7 p.m. game against the loser of the game between Rancho Santiago and the College of the Canyons.

Eric Bridge started for San Diego Mesa and was replaced in the sixth inning by Willie Morris, who hit the first batter he faced to force in a run.

Morris then gave up a game-tying three-run double to pinch-hitter Bobby Jones. As Gary Brown slid into home with the third run, Brown and Morris, who was backing up the play, became tangled.

What started as a slight pushing match ended in a bench-clearing fight that stopped play for 10 minutes. Rick Vasquez of Sacramento City, who threw a flying body block at home plate, was ejected.

Pitcher Dean Wilkins relieved Morris and gave up one hit over the final 3 innings to get the victory.

The hit that Wilkins allowed was a single to Tim Anderson to put the Panthers ahead, 6-5.

Larry Oedewaldt walked to open the seventh for the Olympians and scored the tying run on a triple by John Qsar. Qsar scored the winning run on a passed ball.

Sacramento City was eliminated from the tournament with the loss. The Panthers had lost to Canyons earlier in the day.