Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team combined for 28 hits and 25 runs in 16-4 and 9-0 victories over University of Sioux Falls on Sunday afternoon at CSUSM Baseball Field.

The Cougars improve their winning streak to 11 games and move to 14-8 overall. USF, also nicknamed the Cougars, drops to 4-5. The teams will complete their four-game series with another doubleheader tomorrow at noon.

Ray Patchen went 5-for-9 on the day with four RBI and three runs scored.  Kyle Montiel (3-0) pitched brilliantly in the second contest, tossing a 1-hit complete game while striking out six in the seven-inning victory. The junior left-hander has pitched a complete game in his last two starts.

Game 1
The Cougars fell behind early in the opening game and nearly dug themselves into a hole that would have been hard to get out of. However, a key defensive play by Rich Montanez combined with a six-run fourth inning and a seven-run fifth lifted the Cougars to a blowout victory.

Leading 1-0, USF loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the third. Dylan Dwyer attempted to lay down a squeeze, but he popped up the bunt attempt behind the plate.

Montanez caught the ball to his left and doubled up the runner at third to get out of the inning with no damage done.

The Cougars answered in the bottom of the fourth. Terrence Buchanan drove in Tyler Bernard with a single to right before scoring on Patchen's single to center.

Hunter Brown (4-1) fell into some trouble in the top of the fourth. Gunnar Peterson knocked in Jordan Jeske to tie it at 2-2, and USF looked like it was about to break out with the bases loaded and no one down.

However, Montanez caught Anthony Lopez sneaking off of third base for the first out of the inning. Then, Brown struck out Jeremy Varner. USF's hopes fizzled as Noah Durkin grounded out weekly back to the box.

CSUSM started its turn at the plate with two quick outs, but Kyle Hansen's single to right center started a string of six consecutive hits for the Cougars.

Hansen started the rally with a single into right and Noah Buchanan followed with a base-hit to left. Bernard's blooper to center was deep enough to score Hansen from third to make it 3-2.

With runners on the corners and two down, T. Buchanan fired a shot up the middle that scored N. Buchanan. However, the ball scooted under the glove of Durkin in center.

Bernard came around to score easily, but it'd be a much stiffer task for T. Buchanan. He turned on the after-burners while rounding second, didn't appear to consider stopping at third, and slid in under the tag at the plate for an inside-the-park-homerun.

Patchen and Brandon Bentson connected with the fifth and sixth straight hits for the Cougars. Montanez came aboard with a walk to load the bases.

Reliever Kevin Handt continued to struggle with his control and walked Costello to bring in Patchen. Adam Tapia was then hit by a pitch to bring in Bentson and make it 8-2.

CSUSM would out-do the performance in the fifth inning.

N. Buchanan led off with a single, Bernard doubled to right and T. Buchanan walked to load the bases again.

Patchen connected with a two-run single and Bentson followed suit with an RBI base knock to make it 11-3.

 A groundout to the right side by Montanez brought another run home and Costello added a sacrifice fly to make it 13-3.

N. Buchanan sent a double down the left-field line in his second turn at the plate, bringing in Tapia and Hansen to put the Cougars ahead 15-3.

Kory Smith was rewarded for his one-out triple to right center in the bottom of the eighth, when Jon Putnam brought him home with a single through the left side.

Brown pitched six innings and stuck out six. He earned his third consecutive victory in as many starts.

Patchen was 3-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored. N. Buchanan went 3-for-5 in his first start in center field, scoring twice in addition to his two-run double. T. Buchanan was 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBI and two walks.

Bernard went 2-for-5 with three runs and an RBI in the lead off spot.

Game 2
Montiel pitched an absolute gem of a game and the Cougars out the game away with a seven-run third inning.

In the bottom of the first, Bernard doubled to the left-center field wall before taking third on a missed cutoff throw. T. Buchanan came aboard on an error by the USF third baseman and the Cougars had runners on first and third with no out.

Bentson's sacrifice fly to center was deep enough to score Bernard and make it 1-0. Buchanan moved to third and eventually scored on Montanez's single up the middle.

Montiel worked quickly through the second and third innings. Despite giving up a pair of walks in each frame, Montiel minimized damage by striking out a pair and picking off runner on first.

In CSUSM's half of the third, Patchen came aboard with an infield single and Bentson singled through the left side. After Montanez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Costello doubled to left, scoring Patchen and Bentson to make it 4-0.

Denny Vigo added an RBI single to put the Cougars up five. Kyle Hansen lifted a fly ball to right field that would have scored Costello on the sacrifice, but the right fielder dropped it to keep one out on the board.

T. Buchanan came through with a two-run single that made it 8-0 and Patchen capped off the scoring for the Cougars with a RBI single up the middle.

Montiel sat USF down in order in the fourth and then got the first two batters to groundout in the top of the fifth. Anthony Lopez lifted a pop fly down the right field line that forced Bentson to back pedal from first, T. Buchanan to cover from second base, and Hansen to sprint in from right field. The late afternoon sun seemed to make the play more difficult for the trio and the ball fell inside the right-field line for the game's only hit.

Montiel got out of it by drawing a grounder to second. He'd allow just one more base runner who reached when his third strike ended up at the back stop. Montiel finished with six strikeouts, two walks, and 11 groundball outs.

Costello was 2-for-4 with two RBI and T. Buchanan went 1-for-4 with two RBI in game two.