Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN MARCOS, Calif. – It could not have been any closer in Saturday's doubleheader between the Cal State San Marcos baseball team and Point Loma Nazarene, but the Cougars held on in both games, 8-7 and 5-4 (7 inn.), to complete a three-game sweep of the Sea Lions at CSUSM Baseball Field.

CSUSM's Tyler Bernard went 4-for-8 over the two games, Kenny Belzer and Kyle Secciani each went 3-for-6, and closer Justin Hertzmann (4) came through in the clutch with saves in both games to seal the victories.

The Cougars improve their winning streak to seven games after completing their third series sweep of three games or more this season. CSUSM stands at 22-2 ahead of its three-game set next week against San Diego Christian.

PLNU dropped to 12-15 overall.

Game One

After CSUSM jumped out to a 7-0 lead after three innings, PLNU crawled back in it, scoring three in the sixth and a pair in the seventh to edge within two.

Belzer launched a solo homerun to left field to put the Cougars back up by three for what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. The Sea Lions tacked two more on the top of the eighth, but Hertzmann got himself out of the eighth and ninth stanzas with the tying run on board to clinch the one-run victory.

The first three Cougar batters reached in the bottom of the first before Kody Sepulveda knocked in Secciani with a groundout to the right side to make it 1-0.

Kyle Kuck then followed with a two-out, two-run single through the right side to bring in Belzer and Bernard to make it 3-0. Kuck hit the repeat button in the third, singling to right field to drive in Brandon Bentson and Bernard to push CSUSM up 5-0.

Marcus Meraz forced in Sepulveda with a sacrifice fly before Mike Guadagnini's base hit brought home Kuck, giving CSUSM a seven-run advantage.

Cougar starter Steve Messner (4-1) worked five scoreless innings, allowing just a single hit before getting into some trouble in the sixth. The Sea Lions led off with a walk and a single before Andy Littlefield knocked in Bryan Burkhead with a bloop single down the right-field line. Kyle Desimone brought home Tyler Nordgren on a fielder's choice and Kyle Cameron drove in Desimone with a single to center.

Messner's day was done after six innings with CSUSM leading 7-3.

Kevin Hilton took over, but was only able to get one of the four batters he faced out. He walked two before Nordgren's RBI single thorough the right side brought the Sea Lions within three.

Hilton was replaced by Frank Charlton with runners on first and third and one out, but Charlton's wild pitch allowed Burkhead to come across and make it 7-5. However, Charlton settled in and got the next two batters to strikeout to get out of the jam.

PLNU's Sebastian Santos came on for starter Justin Lawrence (3-3) in the bottom of the seventh. He was greeted by Belzer, who took Santos' first pitch over the left field wall to push CSUSM up 8-5.

The Sea Lions jumped on Charlton for a single and a double to lead off the eighth. Charlton was promptly replaced by Hertzmann.

After Hertzmann forced Connor Harwick to pop out for the first out of the inning, the Cougars mishandled Mike Marcoux's squeeze bunt to allow a pair of runners to scare.

Marcoux laid it down on the third base line, forcing Belzer to throw to first for the out instead of going to the plate to get Cameron. Marcoux was out on the force play, but no player covered for Belzer at third. Tanner Handa took off from second, prompting a wild throw across the diamond by Bentson, CSUSM's first baseman. Belzer could not field the throw and Handa rounded third and scored when the ball sailed into right field.

Leading 8-7 with the tying run on board and the go-ahead run at the plate, Hertzmann sat down Trey Hunt III with a fastball to end the frame.

The Cougars were retired in order in the ninth, and Hertzmann got the first two PLNU batters out in the top of the ninth. However, Littlefield drew a walk after working the count full to once again put the tying run aboard and the go-ahead run at the plate.

Hertzmann fell behind 2-0 to pinch-hitter Joseph Keller, but eventually got the Sea Lions' freshman to foul out along the third-base line to end the ball game.

Kuck was 2-for-3 with four RBI and a run scored. Belzer was 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. Secciani walked twice, scored and went 1-for-3.

Game Two

PLNU raced out to an early lead in the afternoon session, forcing CSUSM to rely on steady work from its bullpen to allow for a come-from-behind victory.

Marcoux made it 1-0 PLNU on the first pitch, homering down the right-field line off CSUSM starter Mike Scaramella. Hunt reached second base on an outfield error before Nordgren brought him home with a single through the right side.

Bentson cut the deficit in half with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the first.

CSUSM evened the score in its next at-bat, capitalizing on a one-out double down the line by Rich Montanez. Adam Tapia followed with a single before Guadagnini brought Montanez across with an RBI groundout.

PLNU tallied three straight singles to lead off the third, forcing Scaramella off the hill in favor of Matt Bataska. Burkhead sent one to deep center to bring home Marcoux on the sacrifice fly before Nordgren's single scored Tyler Hanzawa. Bataska got out of the inning down just two by drawing groundouts from the next two batters.

Secciani and Bernard started the bottom half of the third with back-to-back singles. Belzer and Bentson could not convert with a hit, but pinch-hitter Manny Cardeiro lined a single to left-center to bring across Secciani and pull the Cougars within one, 4-3.

Bataksa retired the first two batters of the fourth inning before Kyle Kuck (1-0) came on to get Marcoux to groundout. Kuck surrendered a leadoff double in the fifth, but recovered to force a pair of pop outs and another grounder to keep CSUSM within one.

CSUSM finally took the lead in the fifth inning, as Bernard scored off a double by Belzer. Bentson then plated Belzer with a single to right to make it 5-4.

Hertzmann came on with a runner aboard in the sixth. Harwick and Handa moved the runner, Daniel Hernandez, to second, then third, on back-t0-back groundouts to the right side. With the tying run 90 feet away, Hertzmann fanned Micahel Randel on three straight pitches to get out of the inning.

Things became more cumbersome in the top of the seventh, as PLNU put runners aboard with one out after a walk and a single. Burkhead, who homered in Friday's series opener, drove a long fly ball to left field, which allowed AJ Derr to advance to third by tagging up.

With two down and the tying run once again 90 feet away, Hertzmann drew a chopper up the middle from Nordgren. Guadagnini, the CSUSM second baseman, shuffled to his right, fielded the bouncing ball, and tagged the bag himself to end the game.

Bernard was 3-for-3 in game two while Bentson was 2-for-3 with two RBI.