SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Senior Taylor Ahearn tossed a three-hit shutout to give the Cal State San Marcos baseball squad a 12-0 victory in the doubleheader opener against San Diego Christian in nonconference action on Friday, Feb. 3 at the CSUSM Baseball Field. The Cougars dropped game two 4-1 to the Hawks.
 
Junior shortstop Tyler Place went 4-for-8 with two runs, two RBIs and a double to lead the Cougars. He also stole two bases in the first game. Sophomore catcher J.T. Sole went 3-for-7 and also collected two runs, two RBIs and a double.
 
"It was nice to get the first couple games in," said CSUSM head coach Matt Guiliano. "Early in the year, we need to figure out who we are as a team. After today, I still don't know who we are. We came out with a great approach offensively the first game and trusted it. We got away from that in the second game and I need to do a better job of adjusting and keeping our guys in a situation to succeed."
 
SDC's Caeden Barnes went 4-for-6 with a double.
 
"The nice thing is that we have another opportunity to find out who we are tomorrow with another doubleheader with a quality opponent," Guiliano said. "Ahearn did a great job pounding the zone with all his pitches. The defense did a really nice job all day. Wall threw well, but didn't have his best stuff today."
 
The Cougars conclude the four-game series against SDC with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 4 beginning at 11 a.m.
 
GAME 1: CSUSM 12 - SDC 0
Ahearn struck out eight batters, faced no more than four batters an inning and never allowed a runner to move into scoring position. He did not surrender a walk in the nine frames.
 
The Cougars wasted no time getting on the board, notching five runs in the first inning, highlighted by senior right fielder Colin Dvorak's two-out 2-RBI single.
 
CSUSM extended its lead to 9-0 with four more runs in the second inning.
 
A Place RBI single in the fifth made it 10-0 and freshman third baseman Anthony Rodriguez capped the game with a 2-RBI double in the eighth to close the game at 12-0.
 
GAME 2: SDC 4 – CSUSM 1
The Cougars once again took an early lead as Place knocked in senior left fielder Ross Lemmel on a single off the center wall in the third inning.
 
The Hawks evened the game at one run apiece on a sac fly by Vahn Bozoian in the fifth inning.
 
SDC put up two more runs in the sixth and another insurance run in the seventh to make it a 4-1 game.
 
CSUSM attempted a rally in the bottom of the seventh when Dvorak hit a leadoff double to center field, but SDC's closer Logan Taylor shut it down with a fly out and a double play.
 
Wall took the loss after giving up three runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. SDC's Caleb Rodusky collected the win after going six innings and allowing only one run on three hits.