SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team had to settle for a split doubleheader with Antelope Valley on Sunday, Feb. 12, but was able to collect a 3-1 series victory over the Pioneers after yesterday's twinbill sweep. The Cougars dropped game one, 7-6, that went 12 innings before recording an 8-2 win in the nightcap.
 
The Cougars close out their first two weekends with a 6-2 record. The Pioneers are 4-8 on the season.
 
"For the most part, this series was good but there are a lot of points in there mentally that we had breakdowns," said CSUSM head coach Matt Guiliano. "Eight games in, we shouldn't be having these breakdowns. My coaching staff and I need to do a better job getting them ready and to understand what we are expecting so they can get out there in a position to succeed."
 
Junior Tyler Place went 5-for-10 on the day with four doubles to raise his season total to nine. Junior Colin Dvorak and freshman Griffin Teisher tallied four hits while scoring a combined total of seven runs in the two games.
 
The Cougars are back in action next Friday, Feb. 17 when they host Concordia University Irvine in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
 
GAME 1: UAV 7 – CSUSM 6 (12 innings)
The Pioneers struck first with a run in their first frame off a sac fly. The Cougars answered with four runs in the second inning. Dvorak and freshman Reed LaBar recorded back-to-back singles and sophomore Isaias Torres drew a walk to load the bases. Junior Nico Maida doubled to center field to drive in two runs. The final two runs of the inning came on Teisher's sac fly and a Pioneer error.
 
In the seventh inning, Place's RBI double to right center gave CSUSM an insurance run to make it 5-1.
 
UAV evened the score with four runs in the top of the eighth, highlighted by three doubles.
 
The Pioneers retook the lead after Luke Smith drew a walk, advanced on a wild pitch and came home on a Jake Harrison single up the middle.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, the Cougars once again evened the game, this time at 6-6, when Teisher hit a leadoff single through the left side and scored on Place's double to left field.  The Cougars stranded Place and was forced to go extra innings.
 
Harrison scored the game-winning run for the Pioneers on a single by McKendrick in the 12th.
 
Starter Shawn Hunt went 6.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits and struck out four for a no decision. Garretson took the loss after four innings of relief.
 
GAME 2: CSUSM 8 – UAV 2
The Cougars jumped out early in the second game when Teisher led off with a single, advanced 90 feet on Place's single and moved to third when Garretson drew a walk.  He later scored on Dvorak's sac fly to center field.
 
UAV's Darron Teson began the third inning with a double and later scored on Smith's single.
 
CSUSM retook the lead in the fourth on Torres' double and added two more runs in the fifth to make it a 5-1 game.
 
UAV cut the gap to 5-2 in the sixth, but Garretson's three-run homer to dead center in the bottom of the frame secured the 8-2 win for CSUSM.
 
Junior Alex Wall earned the win after six innings on the hill, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and striking out five.