LOS ANGELES – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team squandered a 10-4 lead in a heartbreaking seven-run seventh and eventually dropped a 12-inning 13-12 walk-off decision to Cal State L.A. in the opener of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series Thursday night at Reeder Field.
 
The Cougars fall to 16-31 overall and 6-29 in conference action. The Golden Eagles improve to 24-21 on the season and 17-18 in CCAA play.
 
Sophomore catcher Isaias Torres led the Cougar offense, going 3-for-7 with two home runs, including a grand slam, and tallying six RBIs. Junior second baseman Nico Maida also notched three hits on the night.
 
The Golden Eagles won the game on a walk-off single by Nic Bereaud after Angel Sanchez was awarded first after being hit by a pitch to begin the 12th inning and then stole second to get into scoring position.
 
A home run by Jorge Garcia put the Golden Eagles up 1-0 in the second inning.
 
CSUSM evened the game at 1-1 in the next half frame. Freshman outfielder Griffin Teisher hit a two-out double to right center and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Cougars took their first lead of the contest on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the fifth. Torres crushed a grand slam, his first in his collegiate career, over the left field wall to make it 6-1.
 
CSULA answered quickly with a three-run blast by Sanchez in the bottom of the fifth to cut CSUSM's lead to 6-4.
 
CSUSM posted four runs in its next at bat to make it a 10-4 ballgame.  Junior shortstop Riley Manquen drew a leadoff walk and later scored on Teisher's single up the middle. Junior outfielder Colin Dvorak singled to right field to put runners on first and second. Torres followed with a RBI single to plate Teisher. A 2-RBI single by Maida to right field rounded out CSUSM's scoring in the sixth inning.
 
The Golden Eagles retook the lead at 11-10 after putting together a seven-run seventh inning on four hits, two bases-loaded walks and a sacrifice fly.
 
Torres homered for the second time on Friday, taking the ball once again over the left field wall and Maida scored on a CSULA error to give CSUSM back the lead at 12-11 in the top of the eighth.
 
Once again, the Golden Eagles evened the game with a RBI single by Garrett Dean in the bottom of the frame.
 
The win goes to Gabriel Gentner (2-1) who held the Cougars hitless in the top of the 12th. Junior Brady Smith (1-4) took the loss after going 2.1 innings and gaving up the game-winner.
 
The Cougars return to Reeder Field on Friday, May 5 for a single game beginning at 3 p.m.