SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team dropped a 10-8 decision to Cal State Dominguez Hills in California Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) matchup on Thursday afternoon at CSUSM Baseball Field.
The Cougars fall 15-20 overall and 5-18 in conference action. The Toros improve to 10-25 on the season and 8-17 in CCAA play.
All eighteen runs in the contest were scored in the final five frames.
Freshman third baseman
Anthony Rodriguez went 3-for-3 with two runs, a double and a walk. Junior shortstop
Tyler Place collected his CCAA-leading 18th double after going 2-for-2 in the contest with three RBIs and two sacrifice flies.
CSUSM struck first with two runs in the fifth inning. Rodriguez hit a one-out single up the middle and advanced 90 feet when freshman outfielder
Griffin Teisher beat out a bunt down the first base line for a single. Junior second baseman
Nico Maida crushed a RBI double to right field to score Rodriguez. Teisher tagged up and scored on Place's sacrifice fly to left.
CSUDH answered with five runs on five hits that included a three-run homer by Miguel Castaneda.
The Toros added another run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 6-2 lead.
CSUSM retook the lead with five runs on four hits and a CSUDH error in the bottom of the frame. To begin the inning, senior outfielder
Ross Lemmel reached first on a catcher's interference and moved to third on Rodriguez's double to left field. Lemmel scored on Maida's single through the left side. Another sacrifice fly by Place scored Rodriguez to make it 6-4. Junior outfielder
Colin Dvorak singled and sophomore catcher
Isaias Torres drew a walk to load the bases. Maida scored on a wild pitch that moved the other two runs up 90 feet. Freshman pinch hitter Reed LeBar crushed a 2-RBI single up the middle that went off the mound and second base to give CSUSM a 7-6 lead.
CSUDH wasted no time getting back on top in the eighth frame, scoring two runs on Esteban Ortega's double off the right field wall.
The Cougars evened the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the inning. Lemmel laid down a bunt that stayed fair for a single and Rodriguez drew a walk. Another bunt single by Teisher loaded the bases. Place evened the game at 8-8 on a RBI single up the middle but the Cougars left the bases loaded to enter the ninth.
The Toros put together two runs on four singles to clinch the 10-8 win. CSUDH's Joe Mercado improved to 2-1 after one inning on the hill and Joshua Gogue registered his first save of the season after producing a shutout ninth inning. Senior
Hayden Weir (2-4) took the loss after 1.2 innings of work, giving up two runs on five hits.
Both teams return to CSUSM Baseball Field on Friday, April 14 for a single game beginning at 3 p.m.
