SAN MARCOS, Calif.  – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team raised its record to 10-5 after collecting wins over Grace University (Nebraska), 4-1, and Antelope Valley, 6-4, on Saturday, Feb. 21. 
 
Junior Stefan Miladinovich recorded four hits including a double and home run on the day. Senior Dylan Costello went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs.
 
Junior Manny Barragan and freshman Elliott Stepanof each earned the wins while closer Justin Hertzmann snagged a pair of saves to raise his total to four on the season.
 
If the weather can hold off, the Cougars will host Grace at noon on Sunday, Feb. 22 at CSUSM Baseball Field.
 
Game 1
Behind a 4-1 victory, the Cougars began the day giving the Grace Royals a loss in their season opener. 
 
CSUSM wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning as junior L.A. Gamo scored on junior Brandon Bentson's groundout.
 
In the third, Miladinovich crushed a two-run homer over the left field wall after freshman Tyler Place led off the inning with a single.  This marks the third home run for Miladinovich for 2015.
 
The Royals lone run came on a CSUSM error in the top of the sixth.
 
CSUSM's final run came in the bottom of the sixth when Costello led off with a double and later scored on a Grace error.
 
Barragan earned the win after tossing six innings, giving up one unearned run.  He gave up four hits while striking out five and walking two batters. Hertzmann struck out the side in the seventh for the save.
 
Game 2
A four-run second inning lifted CSUSM to a 6-4 victory over Antelope Valley.
 
The Cougars found themselves down 3-0 after a half inning as the Pioneers put together four hits in their first at bat.
 
CSUSM answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Miladinovich and Bentson hit back-to-back doubles to opposite corners to score CSUSM's first run.  Vigo followed with a two-out RBI single through the left side cut UAV's lead to 3-2. 
 
Costello once again led off an inning with a double, this time in the second.  Freshman Austin Ott's single put runners at the corners for CSUSM.  Costello scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Ross Lemmel and Ott plated on the same play after a UAV throwing error to give CSUSM its first lead of the game at 4-2.  Gamo, Miladinovich and senior Ray Patchen each singled to load the bases.  Senior Denny Vigo crushed a two-out 2 RBI single to left center to extend the Cougars' lead to 6-2.
 
In the third inning, UAV's Jonathon Ruiz crushed a leadoff home run to round out the scoring.
 
Stepanof picked up his third win of 2015 after four innings of work. Junior Cameron MacKenzie came in for two innings and gave up just a hit while striking out two.  Hertzmann closed the game, forcing a ground out and fly out with a strike out in-between.