Box Score SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The No. 11 Cal State San Marcos baseball team scored five runs in its final two at-bats to put the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but No. 9 The Master's College got Manny Cardeiro to fly out to end the ball game, escaping with an 11-8 victory in the first contest of the teams' three-game series on Friday afternoon at CSUSM Baseball Field.

Chris Talley's three-run homerun gave TMC (33-14) an 8-2 lead in the top of the fifth before an RBI triple by Cody Harris and a pair of RBI singles made it 11-3 in the eighth.

Kenny Belzer led off the bottom of the eighth with a single for CSUSM (29-8) and came all the way around on a double from Kody Sepulveda. John Swilley took over on the basepath and eventually scored on Kyle Kuck's groundout to the right side.

Mike Guadagnini followed with a single up the middle to score Marcus Meraz to make it 11-6. Guadagnini was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles on the day.

On the next play, Tyler Bernard reached on a throwing error by the TMC third baseman. The ball traveled into shallow right field. Guadagnini, trying to score from first base on the play, was thrown out at the plate on a close play for the final out of the inning.

Trailing by five in the ninth, Brandon Bentson, Belzer and Sepulveda registered back-to-back-to-back one-out singles. Kuck launched a ball into the right-centerfield gap that would have cleared the bases, but it bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. Bentson and Belzer scored to make it 11-8.

With two outs and runners on second and third, head coach Dennis Pugh called on Cardeiro to pinch hit. The power hitter made solid contact on Harris' first pitch, but TMC centerfielder Caleb Halverson moved to his left to make the catch and secure the final out.

Steve Messner (6-2) was dealt the loss, allowing eight runs, six earned and five walks. He also struck out seven.

AJ Work (9-4) earned the win for the Mustangs.

TMC and CSUSM will play the final two games of their series on Saturday, beginning at noon. Between games, nine Cougar seniors will be honored for their years of service to the baseball program in a special Senior Day ceremony.