SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Junior Brandon Bentson's second home run of 2015 was just not enough as the Cal State San Marcos baseball team dropped an 8-3 decision to No. 2 Lewis-Clark State Friday afternoon at CSUSM Baseball Field.
 
The Cougars (4-5), which outscored its opponents 25-10 over its last three, managed eight hits and snapped a three-game winning streak. The Warriors improve to 7-3. 
 
Despite striking out a season-high six batters, starter Manny Barragan took the loss after giving up three runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of action. LC State's Beau Kerns tossed a complete game, relinquishing three runs on eight hits and walking two.
 
After two shutout innings by both starters, LC State spread out four runs in the next four innings.
 
CSUSM got on the board in the fourth, cutting the Warriors' lead to 2-1 when senior Denny Vigo hit a leadoff single and later scored on junior Jon Putnam's sharp grounder to second base.
 
Bentson led off the bottom of the sixth with a high fly ball over the right field wall to make it 4-2 Warriors.
 
The Cougars once again cut the gap to one run in the bottom of the seventh.  Senior Dylan Costello hit a ground-ruled double to left center and scored on freshman Tyler Place's single up the middle.
 
The Warriors added two runs in the eighth, thanks to an RBI triple by Cabe Reitan who later scored on Max Whitt's single.
 
LC State put the game out of reach when Michael Sexton crushed a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.
 
Junior Stefan Miladinovich and Place each had a pair of hits on the day.
 
The Cougars wrap up their 12-game homestand on Sunday, Feb. 15 with a doubleheader against La Sierra. First pitch is at 11 a.m.