Scott Clement's three-run bomb in the eighth inning gave Cal State San Marcos a late lead at Biola, but the home team battled back to hand the Cougars a 5-4 loss.  CSUSM baseball is now 8-4 on the season.

Most of Tuesday's game was a pitcher's duel, featuring CSUSM's Travis McCracken against Biola's Mike Frisina.  McCracken was super solid as usual for the Cougars, scattering 8 hits over 6 2/3 innings.  He allowed just three runs, walking one and striking out two.

But Frisina was equally good, and at the end of the seventh Biola held a 2-1 lead, with the Cougars' only run coming on a Josh Miller fourth-inning RBI single.

That would change, however, as CSUSM got into the Biola bullpen in the eighth.  The Cougar lineup, which has been crushing the ball this whole season, broke through for three runs in the inning.  It happened swiftly:  Ricardo Moran led off the inning with a single, and Dane Ponciano drew a walk to bring up Clement, who took a 1-1 pitch over the fence to give CSUSM it's first lead, 4-3.

But it would be short-lived, as Biola responded with two of their own in the bottom of the frame on a two-out, two-strike double by Brent Chavez.  The 5-4 score would hold up through the ninth.

The Cougars have a busy week ahead of them, with home games Wednesday and Thursday, and home double-headers Saturday and Sunday.