Box Score Bracket

VICTORIA, Texas – The top-seeded Cal State San Marcos baseball team will play for the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Conference title for the second time in three years after the Cougars' 7-2 victory over second-seeded LSU Alexandria on Thursday afternoon at Riverside Stadium.

CSUSM starter Hunter Brown (2-0) worked seven innings, striking out nine while allowing a single earned run. Senior centerfielder Kyle Secciani went 2-for-4 with three RBI, Dylan Costello was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs, and Brandon Bentson added a two-run double as CSUSM matched the school record for wins in a single season with its 34^th victory of the year (34-10).

A win on Friday will garner the 2013 Cougars the program record, but more importantly, an automatic berth to the NAIA tournament and their second conference title in the past three years.

CSUSM made it 1-0 in the top of the second inning, as Kyle Kuck's bloop single to shallow right was mishandled by Justin Crowell. Kenny Belzer, who reached base by legging out an infield single, came around from first base on the play.

Brown got into his first sticky situation in the second inning, as LSUA (37-19) led off with a single. A.I.I. Player of the Year Nick Jones then sent a deep shot to the right-center field gap, but Marcus Meraz did well to move to his right before making a back-handed catch at the wall. Brown then struck out the final batter of the frame, his fourth strikeout to that point.

CSUSM opened the game a bit in the third inning. Mike Guadagnini walked before Tyler Bernard was hit on the leg while attempting a bunt. Secciani bunted the runners over before Bentson went the other way with a line drive down the left-field line that scored both the runners. Kody Sepulveda followed with a single up the middle that brought home Bentson to put the Cougars up four.

The Generals put runners on the corners with two outs, but once again, Brown struck-out Dylan Edmiston with a low breaking ball to get out of the inning.

An error by the LSUA shortstop kept the Cougars alive in the top of the fourth. Secciani made Generals pay, knocking in Costello with a single up the middle to put CSUSM up 5-0.

Jones led off the fifth with a double to right-center and eventually scored on Randy Frederick's two-out base hit. The Generals added another in the fifth inning, as Winn Smith reached thanks to an error by Belzer at third. He eventually reached third before scoring when Sepulveda's pickoff attempt sailed into left field.

LSUA came knocking again in the sixth inning when an error by Bentson at first and a hit batsman put runners on first and second with two outs. However, Brown recovered to sit-down Smith on a 1-2 delivery to keep the game from getting any closer.

CSUSM cashed in some insurance in the top of the ninth, as Costello led off with a single to left. Bernard blooped a single inside the left-field line before advancing to second when Edmiston booted the ball into foul territory. Secciani brought home Costello and Bernard with a two-out single up the middle.

Frank Charlton pitched the final two innings for the Cougars, securing his first save of the season without allowing a hit and striking out one.

CSUSM will face the winner of Friday morning's contest between LSUA or fourth-seeded Fisher College. Fisher beat fifth-seeded University of Houston-Victoria, 6-5, in an elimination game on Thursday afternoon.

The Cougars beat UHV in their only other A.I.I. title game appearance, 10-3, in 2011.