SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team dropped both ends of Saturday's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) doubleheader by scores of 7-6 and 16-0 to visiting Cal Poly Pomona.
Junior shortstop
Riley Manquen went 2-for-4 with two runs and two walks on the day. Junior second baseman
Nico Maida added two RBIs on three hits.
CSUSM (15-26, 5-24 CCAA) and CPP (24-18, 20-11 CCAA) will conclude the four-game series on Sunday, April 23 in Pomona. First pitch is slated for noon.
GAME 1: CPP 7 – CSUSM 6
In a contest that had four lead changes, the Broncos were the ones that finished on top with a come-from-behind 7-6 victory after scoring two runs on four hits in the top of the ninth.
Sophomore catcher
Isaias Torres led off the second inning by smacking his first home run of 2017. He lifted the ball over the left field wall on a 1-2 pitch to put CSUSM up 1-0.
Manquen connected on a one-out single in the third inning and advanced to third on a single by freshman outfielder
Griffin Teisher. Maida's RBI single up the middle plated Manquen to make it 2-0 CSUSM.
CPP got on the board in the fourth inning when Frankie Nogales laced the ball to the shortstop for a RBI single, scoring Chris Stratton who led off with a single to centerfield.
In the bottom of the frame, junior first baseman
Andy Garretson reached on a fielder's choice and moved into scoring position on a throwing error. Freshman third baseman
Reed LaBar singled on a soft liner over the second baseman's glove to score Garretson to make it 3-1.
CPP's Jacob Bernardy crushed a two-run homer over the left field wall to even the game at 3-3 in the top of fifth inning. The Broncos took their first lead of the game a frame later on Brennen McKenzie's 2-RBI single through the left side.
Garretson and Maida each recorded RBI singles in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, to even the game at 5-5.
In the bottom of the eighth, Garretson hit a one-out home run over the right center wall to give CSUSM back the lead at 6-5.
Back-to-back RBI singles by Bernardy and Stratton put CPP back on top at 7-6.
Manquen led off the bottom of the ninth with a single but Bronco reliever Wyatt Shackleford got CSUSM to hit into three ground outs for his first save of the season.
Senior
Hayden Weir struck out eight batters while relinquishing six runs in his eight innings on the mound. Senior
Taylor Ahearn (6-6) took the loss after one inning in relief. CPP's Jeff Bain (6-2) went eight innings, giving up six runs (five earned) and struck out eight, for the win.
GAME 2: CPP 16 – CSUSM 0
CPP's Henry Omana held the Cougars scoreless for the win, limiting their offense to just three hits while recording seven strikeouts over six innings.
Shawn Hunt was handed the loss after one inning of work after giving up six runs on four hits.
The Broncos spread out 11 runs over the first three innings before CSUSM was able to put up three consecutive zero run frames. CPP tacked on five more runs in the top of the seventh.
Stratton went 4-for-6 with four runs, a double and a RBI.
