Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of a series in which Sports Information Director Mason Nesbitt ranks the Mustang moments he feels were most memorable from 2018.

9) Captain Clutch (Nov. 3, 2018)

Hailey Gomillion netted her first career hat trick when Mustang women’s soccer needed her most.
Something easily forgotten about the day Hailey Gomillion recorded the first hat trick of her career is that the Mustangs actually trailed at halftime. That’s because the final score on Nov. 3 was 5-2 — Master’s seemingly cruising into its third straight Golden State Athletic Conference tournament semifinal.

But that wasn’t the case.

The Mustangs trotted off Reese Field and into the locker room with Arizona Christian ahead 2-1 after the quarterfinal’s first 45 minutes. Gomillion had scored in the second minute, but otherwise Master’s appeared headed for an early offseason.

Then Gomillion put the ball into the net in the 48th minute, and she did it again nearly two minutes later.

Her heroics were not unexpected, nor were they unprecedented. Three times early in the season, the senior captain scored in the 80th minute or later to tie the score or give Master’s a lead.

This game played to that narrative: She was Captain Clutch.

Gomillion finished the year with a team- and career-high nine goals en route to being named an All-GSAC pick and an NAIA All-American honorable mention selection, each for the second straight season.

Fifth-year senior Kellian Ahearn was also an honorable mention NAIA All-American for a Mustang squad that reached double digit wins for the ninth time in the last 11 years.

10) Opening With A Bang (Jan. 19, 2018)

Josh Robison put together one of the best single-game performances in Mustang baseball history.

When Monte Brooks can’t remember an offensive performance quite like this, you know it belongs among the year’s most memorable.

The 22nd-year manager watched from the dugout at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton on Jan. 19 as Josh Robison homered in each of his first three at bats. The senior closed the day with a triple, going an immaculate 4-for-4 with five RBIs in the 15-7 win over Marymount California University.

The home runs were the first three of Robison’s career, and they narrowly missed matching TMU’s single game record for home runs (four), set by Andy Martin in 1992.

Robison went on to finish second on the team in home runs with eight. Aaron Shackelford led the squad with 11 homers and earned All-Golden State Athletic Conference honors.