THE MASTER'S COLLEGE NOTEBOOK: DARK DAYS, BAD SIGNS.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

NEWHALL - Darkness fell on The Master's College baseball team for the second time in a week when Wednesday's game against Indiana University-Southeast was declared a 9-9 tie after the sun had set.

Last Tuesday, the Mustangs and Golden State Athletic Conference opponent Biola couldn't get through its game when conditions became unplayable without lights on the Eagles' field. Neither game has cost The Master's, with the Biola game scheduled to be completed April 30.

But the manner in which both games unfolded made for frustrating finishes at dusk for the Mustangs. Biola rallied from an 11-3 deficit to score eight times between the fifth and eighth innings, and the Eagles will take a 12-11 lead into the ninth inning when play resumes.

``That's always tough. You feel like you've got the game under control, then all of a sudden they stop the game and you're down by one,'' Mustangs outfielder Jerry Owens said.

Wednesday's nonconference game with Indiana-Southeast carried less meaning than the Biola contest, but the outcome had similarly bitter overtones. The Mustangs led throughout, never trailed, but gave up single runs in each of the last two innings and went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth.

``I'm not frustrated with the tie,'' The Master's head coach Monte Brooks said. ``I'm frustrated with the way we played. We didn't pitch very well. We didn't play very well. We scored enough runs to beat a team. Nine runs should beat them.''

Those two games were sandwiched by mostly strong play. The Mustangs did lose a nonconference game to Cal State San Bernardino the day after the Biola trip. But three consecutive GSAC wins (two over Cal Baptist and one over Westmont) and a victory against nonconference foe Simpson College followed.

``We've been playing pretty well,'' freshman second baseman Tim Murphy said. ``We've been on a little winning streak. But we didn't clutch up. And that's what, really, it all comes down to. (Against Indiana-Southeast) we had chances, but we just didn't do it.''

The Mustangs are in good shape to make a run at an upper-division finish in the GSAC. At 9-5 in conference (16-11-2 overall), they're in contention for second place behind run-away leader Point Loma Nazarene.

Consistency has been lacking, but there are several freshmen - Murphy, shortstop Brady Schenk, and pitchers Mark McElroy, Luke Clubb and Stephan Stead - playing significant roles.

``We're really young. We don't have much (experienced) depth,'' Brooks said. ``It's a combination of stuff.''

Which is why Tuesday's 12-9 victory at Westmont became costly. Senior center fielder Tyler Hergenrader, who missed the first two weeks of the season recovering from a broken hand, suffered a pulled hamstring. He sat out Wednesday and is questionable for today's doubleheader at Vanguard.

``We just lost a .400 hitter, plus a solid defender,'' Brooks said of Hergenrader, who is listed as day to day. ``That hurt.''

--A scouting we will go: Owens, the Hart High graduate and ex-UCLA football player, was limited to designated-hitter duties Wednesday due to a sore arm. Still, he did enough to impress the handful of professional scouts at Reese Field.

The speedy right fielder managed a triple. After drawing a late walk, Owens also showed off his baserunning prowess when, on a throwback to first, he broke for second and covered the 90 feet in a hurry to beat the throw for a stolen base.

The scouts have been impressed with Owens' ability to run. He also hits for average (it's hovered around .500) and plays solid defense. He's talked to several scouts about the upcoming draft, but the junior isn't letting their presence bother him.

``The scouts are going to see what they see. And if I have a bad day, they happen to be here on a bad day, that's too bad,'' Owens said. ``And hopefully the scouts like what they see. If they don't, that's out of my control.''

--Three times a lady: Women's basketball standout Lesley DuBois was named an NAIA All-American for the third year in a row. The senior forward landed on the second team after finishing her career as The Master's all-time leader in points (2,078), field goals made (752) and 3-pointers made (194).

--Home sweet home: Softball coach Randy Clark is endeared so much to his alma mater, Cedarville College (Ohio), that when Cedarville needed a resting place when playing at The Master's last week, the Clark Inn was open for business.

Nineteen Cedarville players stayed at Clark's house for their three-night stay.

``We had most of them in beds (around the home), but there were probably seven or so that stayed on the floor,'' said Clark, whose Mustangs beat his old school 1-0. ``We fed them breakfast and one dinner. We had fun with them.''