SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Needing a win to complete first sweep of the 2018 season, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team defeated Concordia Portland, 7-1, on Sunday to conclude nonconference action at the CSUSM Baseball Field.
The game was highlighted by back-to-back-to-back CSUSM home runs on three consecutive pitches off the bats of juniors
Austin Ott,
Isaias Torres and
Marcus Wilhite.
Following the win, CSUSM has won five consecutive games and improves to 5-1 overall while the Cavaliers fall to 0-7.
The Cougars totaled eight hits for the game with senior
Tyler Place (2-for-3) and junior
Marcus Wilhite (2-for-4) the only Cougars with multi-hit games. Junior starting pitcher
Troy Lamparello (2-0) was outstanding once again on the mound for CSUSM. The right-hander went 7.0 innings while giving up just one run on six hits and struck out two.
Junior
Cabot Van Till's two-run home run to dead center field in the third inning put the Cougars on the board first. It was his second home run of the season.
CU would respond with a run in the top of the fourth on a one out single to trim the Cougar lead to 2-1.
CSUSM's three consecutive home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning put the Cougars ahead 5-1 after six innings.
CSUSM would add a pair of insurance runs in the seventh inning following a Torres sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Wilhite to make it 7-1.
Out of the bullpen, senior
Aidan Stinnett and freshman
Garrett Apker combined to go two innings, giving up just one hit, no walks and striking out two to secure the sweep for CSUSM.
CU's Gabe Padukiewicz finished 1-for-3 and drove in the only run for the Cavaliers.
The Cougars will hit the road next week to begin California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. They will take on Cal Poly Pomona in a four-game split-venue series beginning on Friday, Feb. 23 in Pomona. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
