SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Junior Emilio Esquibel cruised to a shutout on the mound and junior Brandon Bentson went 4-for-5 to lead the Cal State San Marcos baseball team to a 6-0 win in Saturday's doubleheader opener against the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.). The CSUSM Cougars dropped game two 7-6. 
 
Esquibel gave up just three hits in his first complete game of the season and raised his record to a team-best 6-0. Junior Stefan Miladinovich went 6-for-10 on the day with five runs, four RBIs and his fifth home run of the season.
 
First pitch for tomorrow's rubber game between CSUSM (18-9) and USF (3-10), also nicknamed the Cougars, is set for noon.  
 
Game 1
CSUSM's first run came in the bottom of the second after senior Dylan Costello drew a walk, stole second and then came home on a USF error.
 
Bentson doubled down the right field line to score Miladinovich who led off the third inning with a single. After advancing 90 feet on Ray Patchen's fly out to left, Bentson scored on Costello's sacrifice fly to deep center field to make it 3-0 CSUSM.
 
Junior L.A. Gamo drew his 21st walk of 2015 to begin the bottom of the fourth inning and Miladinovich absolutely crushed the ball over the left field wall to raise CSUSM's home run total to 10 on the season.  Bentson followed with a triple to right center and plated on Patchen's single up the middle.
 
Esquibel relinquished his first walk of the game to begin the ninth, but second baseman Jack Garcia made a catch over his shoulder and fired it to Bentson for 4-3 double play.  Esquibel struck out the next batter for his fifth strikeout of the game. CSUSM never allowed an USF runner to get into scoring position. 
 
Game 2
CSUSM saw its six-game win streak snapped with the loss, despite racking up 14 hits to USF's seven in the nightcap.
 
It was a bit of déjà vu as CSUSM once again took a 1-0 lead on a USF error. Miladinovich hit a 1-out single, stole second and advanced to third on Bentson's single.  A delay steal by Bentson at first led to a miss throw by USF's catcher on the back pick of Miladinovich on third.
 
CSUSM extended its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third when junior Jon Putnam doubled and eventually scored on Tyler Place's groundout to shortstop.
 
USF took advantage of two CSUSM errors in the top of the fourth, posting six runs on five hits that included three doubles. 
 
CSUSM cut the gap to 6-4 on Bentson's RBI single and a bases-loaded fielder's choice by Putnam.
 
The CSUSM Cougars knotted the game at six in the bottom of the sixth.  Miladinovich led off with double down the left line and Patchen sent his first pitch to the same spot for an RBI double. Patchen eventually scored on a Costello single up the middle.
 
The winning run came on a CSUSM error in the top of the seventh inning.
 
Junior Jordan Kunz picked up his first loss of the season after giving up one hit and one run which was unearned.  USF's Henry Ojeda gave up 13 hits and six runs to earn his first win of the season. 
 
Notes: After hits in both of today's games, Patchen raises his hit streak to 18 games which ranks him No. 2 in the CSUSM record books … Esquibel's sixth victory on the season is the most wins in the nation … CSUSM's shutout in game one is the Cougars eighth of the season.