Box Score COSTA MESA, Calif. – The No. 16 Cal State San Marcos baseball team fell in a somewhat anticlimactic fashion on Opening Day, as Vanguard drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 13^th inning to prevail, 3-2, on Friday afternoon at VU Baseball Field.

VU catcher Jack Daru tied the game in the seventh inning with an RBI single before earning a five-pitch, two-out walk off CSUSM lefty Clinton Perez (0-1) in the fourth extra frame.

The Lions improve to 2-0 with the victory, while CSUSM drops to 0-1. The Cougars had won three straight season openers and four of their last five (CSUSM tied Point Loma Nazarene in 2010). The teams will wrap up their three-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. at CSUSM Baseball Field.

VU took an early lead on Bret Collins' RBI groundout after Taylor McKnight led off the inning with a double to left field.

CSUSM answered with two in the fifth. Catcher Rich Montanez led-off with a double to right field before giving way to courtesy runner Kyle Hansen. Adam Tapia's grounder to the right side moved Hansen to third and Matt Arlington came aboard after being pegged by VU starter Eddie Rivera.

Kory Smith then notched his first RBI for CSUSM, laying down a bunt that forced VU pitcher Eddie Rivera to make the play at first rather than try to catch Hansen at the plate. With Arlington on second, Dylan Costello came through with an RBI single to hand CSUSM its first lead of the season, 2-1.

The advantage seemed to put Hunter Brown in a groove, as he retired the next eight batters in order. Brown made easy work of the first two batters of the seventh, but third baseman John Swilley's errant throw on John Schwer's grounder kept the at-bat alive.

Schwer then took it on himself to score the tying run, stealing both second and third with Daru at the plate. Daru rewarded Schwer with a knock to left that tied it 2-2.

Daru's single ended Brown's day after six and two-thirds innings of work. Brown surrendered five hits, just a single earned run and struck out seven.

VU put runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Kevin Hilton came in and got the next two batters out to force extras.

Costello's single in the 11^th inning was the Cougars' first hit since his RBI single in the fifth inning.

The Lions loaded the bases in the 12^th inning, but CSUSM shortstop Tyler Bernard went to the plate Brandon Sandoval's chopper before Montanez doubled Sandoval up with a throw to first.

CSUSM put runners on with a pair of walks in the 13th, but Bernard grounded out to end the threat.

Thomas Mobley led-off with a single and Collins came aboard with a walk. Taylor McKnight drew a one-out walk to load the bases, but Mobley was caught out at the plate after a delivery got away from Montanez. Montanez found it and flipped it back to Perez, who was quick enough to cover the bag.

With two down and runners on second and third, Perez offered his third walk of the inning to reload the bases.  His first three pitches to Daru were off the plate, but Perez got back into the count with a strike on the inside corner.

However, his final delivery would be off the plate, and Collins scored to end the game.

Rivera worked seven innings while allowing just three hits. Sam Frakes (1-0) earned the win by being the pitcher of record. He walked two of the five batters he faced in the 13^th, but earned three groundouts.

Costello was 2-for-4.