Basowski Sets Stage for a Grand Finish : College baseball: His slam in the ninth beats Moorpark, 10-6, improves Pierce’s chances for a regional playoff berth.

WOODLAND HILLS —  Brian Basowski, without a hit in four at-bats and without a grand slam in his life, reversed course dramatically with one mighty swing of the bat.

Basowski, a sophomore outfielder, blasted a bases-loaded home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday to give Pierce College a 10-6 victory over Moorpark in a Western State Conference tie-breaker game.

The victory likely will earn Pierce (26-15), the conference’s third-seeded team, an at-large berth in next week’s Southern California regional. Pierce tied Bakersfield for the South Division championship, but the Brahmas will be seeded behind Bakersfield because of tie-breaking criteria.

Moorpark (21-18), the WSC’s fourth-seeded team, probably will miss the regional.

However, only one scenario crossed Basowski’s mind as he dug in against right-hander Rob Lanouette with one out.

“I just told myself, ‘I’m a sophomore and this could be my last game of junior college baseball,’ ” Basowski said. “I was just trying to get it up in the air.”

Basowski got all of a 3-and-2 fastball, sending a line drive over the left-field fence and the Brahmas’ dugout into frenzy.

Basowski’s fourth home run of the season provided a dramatic rescue to what might have gone down as a bitter season-ending defeat for Pierce.

The Brahmas scored four runs in the third to overcome a 2-0 deficit and added a run in the fourth. However, they squandered the lead when Moorpark scored single runs in the fifth and sixth, then went ahead, 6-5, in the seventh while chasing starter Adam West. The Raiders scored on a passed ball by Brian Sturges and a wild pitch by reliever Rusty Howard.

“Winning ugly is acceptable,” Pierce Coach Bob Lofrano said. “We weren’t really crisp today. The victory is what’s important.”

Pierce scrambled for a run in the eighth. Robert Vazquez drew a leadoff walk, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on a single by Edgar Maldonado.

Howard (5-0), a 6-foot-1, 220-pound freshman right-hander, held Moorpark in check, recording the final two outs of the seventh and allowing only one batter to reach base the rest of the way.

In the Pierce ninth, Heath McElwee, who hit a solo home run in the third, led off with a walk and Lou Tapia followed with a bloop single. A sacrifice and intentional walk to load the bases set the stage for Basowski.

Basowski fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches and nearly was caught looking at a third strike on a fastball that appeared to be just below the knees.

“The ump said it was low,” Basowski said. “That’s baseball.”