Box Score VICTORIA, Texas – The top-seeded Cal State San Marcos baseball team used timely pitching and solid defense to stave off second-seeded LSU Alexandria, 3-2, in the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Championship game on Friday afternoon at Riverside Stadium.

The Cougars secured their second A.I.I. title in the past three seasons and earned the A.I.I.'s automatic berth to the opening round of the NAIA Baseball National Championship. In addition, CSUSM set a school record for wins with their 35th victory of the season (35-10).

“I thought it was a well-played championship game,” said CSUSM head coach Dennis Pugh, the A.I.I. Coach of the Year. “We've had great chemistry and leadership from guys like [Kyle] Secciani, [Mike] Guadagnini and Frank Charlton. All year long they've been a fun group to be around.”

Catcher Rich Montanez cracked a two-run double in the bottom of the third that handed CSUSM a 3-0 lead and preserved the Cougars' one-run lead in the top of the eighth by throwing out Jay Bell trying to steal third with one out.

LSUA clawed back into the game with a run in the fifth and a solo home run by Dylan Edmiston in the sixth. Justin Hertzmann (5) took over for CSUSM starter Steve Messner (7-3) in the seventh frame and worked a 1-2-3 inning.

Things got hairy for Hertzmann in the eighth, however. He surrendered a lead-off walk to Bell before a balk granted Bell a free pass to second. Jay Sloan failed to move Bell over on a pair of bunt attempts, so Hertzmann struck him out for the first out of the inning.

Edmiston, the third batter in the Generals' lineup and fresh off his solo homer two innings before, had two strikes against him and took a ball outside. Bell tried to take second on Hertzmann's delivery, but Montanez fired a perfect throw down to Kenny Belzer at third, who tagged out Bell for the second out of the inning.

With the tying run no longer in scoring position, Edmiston fanned on the next pitch and the Cougars escaped still up 3-2.

Montanez, filling in for the Cougars' ill everyday catcher Kody Sepulveda, saw the play coming before the pitch.

“I saw [Bell] getting bigger and bigger leads. I went out to talk to Hertzmann to tell him to change up his sets and looks,” said Montanez. “I called a fast ball outside and [Edmiston] took it. Hertzmann gave me a good opportunity to get him out and it was a good throw. Right on the money.”

Asked what he thought after Montanez's throw, Hertzmann was short.

“Game over. No way they could come back after that.”

In the bottom of the ninth, Hertzmann gave up a one-out walk to Michael Collado, but forced the next two batters to pop out. He and Montanez bear-hugged in front of the mound before the rest of the team joined in.

CSUSM's three runs all came in the third inning, as the Cougars were able to take advantage of a bases-loaded situation. Marcus Meraz singled to the shortstop to bring home Secciani to make it 1-0. Then, Montanez tagged a line-drive double into the right-field corner on Tanner Olinde's (2-3) first-pitch fast ball. Brandon Bentson and Belzer came across to increase the Cougar lead to three.

LSUA (38-20) notched its first hit of the game on Randy Frederick's RBI double in the fifth after Messner walked Winn Smith and let the pinch-runner take second on a wild pitch. After another walk, Messner was able to draw a soft grounder to Tyler Bernard at short. Bernard flipped it to Guadagnini, who skipped his foot off the bag before tossing it over to first for the inning-ending double play.

Edmiston led-off the sixth with a shot inside the right-field foul pole to bring LSUA within one, but once again a double play allowed the Cougars to escape with their lead intact. This time, it was Guadagnini who started the play, scooping Chance Schmidt's grounder over to Bernard at second before Bernard fired it to Bentson at first.

Messner struck out four while allowing two hits and six walks. The Cougar southpaw secured his first win since a 10-strikeout, seven-inning performance at Westmont on April 13.

Hertzmann came on in the seventh inning and retired the side in order, quelling the Generals' momentum at the plate over the previous two at-bats. He did not allow a hit in his three innings of work, a season high.

“We've all worked together and we're all cheering for each other,” Hertzmann said. “There are no 'I' guys on the team. We're all one big family. There's no other team that I've been a part of that's like this. That's why we've been so successful, winning one-run games and not being worried.”

CSUSM will now wait for the NAIA to determine where the Cougars will play their opening-round game. The NAIA will announce the field at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May. 6.

Secciani was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.