SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team continued rolling, winning its seventh straight game in impressive fashion with a 14-3 victory over Grace University (Neb.) and improving to 11-5 on the season.
The Cougars put together a 5-0 record this week and have now won seven consecutive games.
Joe Fernandez stuck out six in 5.1 innings to earn his first victory of the season,
Dylan Costello hit his first home run and
Brandon Bentson,
Ray Patchen and
Denny Vigo each drove in three.
L.A. Gamo led off the bottom of the first with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Patchen doubled to the track in center to drive in Gamo and give the Cougars an early 1-0 lead.
Fernandez worked out of a jam in the top of the second after giving up a leadoff double to Joe Davis and a one-out base hit to Carlos Ochoa, putting runners on the corners. Fernandez promptly picked pinch-runner Jared Fern off first and struck out Javaughn Davis to end the threat.
Grace's Terry Tatum singled down the third base line to lead off the fourth. He advanced to second after almost being picked off first by
Jon Putnam. After Joe Davis grounded out, Tatum moved to third on a wild pitch.
Fernandez forced Jovani Reynoso to ground out to third and the struck out Ochoa to strand Tatum at third.
Costello singled to center to start the bottom of the fifth and advanced to second after a bad pickoff attempt saw the ball roll down the first-base line. Place followed with a single to right, moving Costello to third. After Place advanced to second on runners indifference, Gamo hit a sacrifice fly to right which brought Costello home, giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead, and Place advanced to third.
Stefan Miladinovich ripped a ball past the third baseman to score Place, increasing the Cougar lead to 3-0. Bentson doubled to right-center to plate Miladinovich. Bentson advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a balk, bringing the Cougar lead to 5-0.
Jordan Kunz replaced Fernandez with one out and a runner on first in the sixth. Kunz forced Tatum to fly to center and the Royals mounted a mini rally. Joe Davis singled to center and Reynoso walked to load the bases with two outs. Ochoa singled between third and short to drive in the Royals first run of the game and a score of 5-1. Kunz then struck out Davis swinging to end the inning.
Putnam led off the sixth with a single to center and
Ross Lemmel walked with one out. After Place walked to load the bases Gamo singled to right to score pinch runner
Noah Buchanan and the Cougars led 6-1.
A two-out base hit for Benston increased the lead to 8-1, with
Ross Lemmel and Place scoring. Patchen walked to reload the bases and Vigo hit his team-leading ninth double off the centerfield wall to clear the bases and give the Cougars an 11-1 lead.
Costello hammered a 1-2 pitch over the left-centerfield wall to lead off the bottom of the seventh and give the Cougars a 12-1 lead. Patchen hit a bases loaded two-out double to plate two more runs and increased the Cougar lead to 14-1.
In the top of the eighth, Reynoso made it a 14-3 ballgame with a two-run home run to left.
NOTES: Miladinovich has reached base in all 16 of the Cougars games … Patchen reached base on all five plate appearances with a single, two doubles and two walks … Costello's home run was the sixth for the Cougars this season, surpassing last season's total of five … Lemmel walked three times … Four Cougars had two or more hits.
