Box Score SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The third-ranked Cal State San Marcos baseball team had the tying run 90 feet away in the bottom of the ninth inning, but fell short in its comeback bid against San Diego Christian as the Hawks prevailed 6-5 on Wednesday afternoon at CSUSM Baseball Field.

After SDCC (22-13) jumped out to a 5-1 lead by the fourth inning, CSUSM (22-3) crawled back to make it 6-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Marcus Meraz led off the Cougars' last at-bat with a double down the left-field line before pinch-hitter Manny Cardeiro brought him home with a bloop single to right field.

Down one, Dylan Costello re-entered the game for Cardeiro and moved to second on Mike Guadagnini's sacrifice bunt. Kyle Secciani then moved Costello to third on a groundout to the right side.

With Costello on third representing the tying run, SDCC closer Brock Heerdt (3) got Tyler Bernard to ground out to short to end the ball game.

The Hawks snapped CSUSM's seven-game winning streak while handing the Cougars their first loss since March 11.

SDCC jumped on CSUSM starter Kevin Hilton (4-1) for four runs in the first two innings, forcing the Cougar sophomore out after just 1 and 2/3 innings of work.

After the Hawks put up a run in their first at-bat, Secciani tripled to right center and scored off Kenny Belzer's RBI groundout to make it 1-1.

SDCC answered with three runs in the second inning, as Christian Johnson knocked in Gilbert Viera after Viera's one-out double. Alex Mann singled before Jeff Lusardi brought home Johnson and Mann with a two-run double.

SDCC starter Jeff Gogue (1-0) allowed just the single hit to Secciani through the first four innings, but the Cougar bats finally woke up in the bottom of the fifth.

Meraz and Costello notched one-out singles before Secciani drove in Meraz with a base hit through the right side.

Down 5-2 in the sixth, the Cougars were victimized by an unlucky bounce. Kody Sepulveda pelted a line drive to right center that likely would have scored Belzer from first, but the ball bounced over the wall to keep the runners on second and third with one out.

Still, CSUSM was able to put both runners across, as Belzer scored on Jon Putnam's RBI groundout before Sepulveda came across on another single by Meraz.

After pulling within 5-4, an unfortunate miscue in the field allowed the Hawks to tack-on the eventual game-winner.

SDCC had runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth, but Belzer could not handle Mann's grounder down the third-base line. The ball careened off Belzer's glove before slipping into shallow left field, allowing Peter Hoyt to score from second and make it 6-4.

Despite opening the ninth with consecutive hits, the Cougars couldn't find the timely hit that would have prolonged the contest.  

CSUSM is 6-1 in one-run ball games.

Meraz finished the day 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Secciani was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Sepulveda went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.

The Cougars and Hawks will wrap up their three-game series on Friday at CSUSM Baseball Field with a doubleheader at noon.