Baseball is a game of inches and the Wildcat family witnessed that Saturday night. It came down to the end, bottom of the ninth inning, tied at seven apiece, bases loaded with the Mariners ready to score. 

After a line drive in the ninth and final inning, the Mariners ended the night in an 8-7 walk-off victory, creating a night with the Seattle team that CWU students will never forget.

During the April 11 game, the Mariners went up against their biggest rival, the Houston Astros. The game began after CWU Alumna and Foundation Board Chair Janet Backus took the mound and threw the ceremonial first pitch.

Senior Law and Justice major and current Associated Students of Central Washington University (ASCWU) Student Life and Facilities Director Alexa Silva got the opportunity to go on the field for the ceremony and described it as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 

Silva recounted how special it was sharing the moment with Backus, stating, “She was really excited, her son was there, her husband, it was just adorable just to see her family and she was kind enough to introduce us to everyone who worked for the Mariners.”

Fifth-year Instructional Foundations major and current ASCWU President Hondo Acosta-Vega also got the opportunity to be on the field for the ceremony and see the first pitch. Acosta-Vega described the feeling as “surreal, even now to say I was on the Mariners field.” 

The Mariners took command early in the first inning after Catcher Cal Raleigh hit a two-run home run, putting them up 2-0 in the first inning. That lead wouldn’t last for long, however.

The Astros took off the next three innings, putting up seven unanswered runs, leading 7-2 at the end of the fourth inning. In many ballparks across Major League Baseball (MLB), fans at this point might’ve been demoralized, but not Seattle.

The Mariners struck back in the fifth inning after Shortstop J.P. Crawford hit a ball to center field, helping two runners get home, making the deficit 7-4, still in favor of the Astros. Up next, Raleigh hit a fly ball to left field, getting out but allowing infielder Leo Rivas the chance to score, putting two points between the Mariners and the Astros. Center Fielder Julio Rodriguez was then up to bat, smashing the ball past center field, hitting a home run that brought him and Crawford home, tying the game up at seven apiece. The stadium roared in excitement, especially the CWU student section.

Crawford was the hero of the night, hitting a line drive into left field and bringing in the game-winning run. In the end, Crawford had two hits, two scores and helped three runners get home, making him responsible for five of the Mariners’ eight runs.

Acosta-Vega described the energy and faithfulness of the ballpark along with fellow Wildcat students, even when the Mariners were down, commenting, “It was ecstatic, not just CWU students, but all the energy in the stadium and just seeing how much fun the CWU students had was really great.”