Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Down 4-2 heading into its final at-bat after being shutout in game one, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh and escaped with a 5-4 victory in game two to earn a split at No. 12 The Master's College on Wednesday afternoon at Reese Field.

CSUSM moves to 27-15 on the season with three games remaining.

Terrence Buchanan breathed life into CSUSM's sails with a one-out single to bring the tying run to the plate. Brandon Bentson then tagged a double the opposite way down the left-field line to put runners on second and third.

Jason Karkenny's (8-1) pitch got away from catcher Spencer Toth and Bentson scooted home on the passed ball to make it 4-3.

T. Buchanan moved up a base before Ray Patchen knocked him in to tie it at 4-4 with a double down the right field line.

Patchen gave way for the more fleet-of-foot Noah Buchanan and Rich Montanez rewarded the move with the Cougars' fifth-straight hit, singling to right and scoring N. Buchanan to put the Cougars ahead by one. Montanez was 4-for-4 with a pair of RBI in the ball game.

Brooks Noble added the Cougars' sixth hit in a row, but CSUSM wound up leaving the bases loaded without pushing another run across.

CSUSM turned the ball over to closer Justin Hertzmann (1-3), who was in the unusual role of being in a position to earn a victory.

TMC (35-13) led off with a bunt single and put the winning run aboard with a one-out base hit. Hertzmann struck out Caleb Halverson for the second out of the frame, but the runners were able to move into scoring position on a passed ball.

With the winning run 180 feet away and a 2-2 count, Hertzmann forced Steven Karkenny to check-swing at an outside pitch. After a checking with his counterpart, the home plate umpire punched out Karkenny to end the game. Hertzmann struck out the side.

The Cougars scored a pair of unearned runs in their first at-bat, as the first two batters of the game, Tyler Bernard and T. Buchanan, both came aboard via errors. Patchen and Montanez made the Mustangs pay with back-to-back RBI singles.

Patchen went 3-for-4 as CSUSM's 3-4-5 hitters combined to go 8-for-11 with four RBI and a run scored.

TMC scored one in the first and tied the game in the third with a bases-loaded walk, one of four consecutive free passes doled out by starter Hunter Brown.

Matt Bataska came in to relieve Brown and got two consecutive outs; however, the first was a sacrifice fly that put the Mustangs ahead 3-2.

Another sacrifice fly in the fifth inning made it 4-2 in favor of TMC.

Game 2
Tommy Kister (4-4) delivered six innings of two-hit ball and Conner Menez didn't allow a baserunner over the final three frames, as TMC cruised 5-0 in game one.

Kyle Montiel (6-2) worked seven innings, allowed six hits and three runs while striking out three.  

Bentson and Montanez were both 1-for-3.

The Cougars return to action Tuesday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. against La Sierra at CSUSM Baseball Field. CSUSM swept the Golden Eagles in a four-game set on Apr. 11 and 13.
CSUSM's final two games of the regular season take place next Thursday and Friday, April 24 and 25 against Azusa Pacific.  Both games start at 3:00 p.m.