SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team took game one over Cal Poly Pomona, 6-5, before dropping the series finale by a score of 15-1 on Sunday afternoon in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action.
Senior
Tyler Place and junior
Justin Mellano each had home runs on the day. Senior
Aidan Stinnett finished 3-for-6 with a double, run and an RBI in the two games. Junior
Taylor Greene (3-0) remained perfect on the mound working 5.1 innings giving up eight hits, one earned run and three strikeouts while walking just one.
The Cougars are next action when they host Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday, March 2. Game one of a four-game series is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
GAME 1: CSUSM 6 – CPP 5
After three scoreless innings, it was CPP to push the first run across the plate. Pomona's Bryce Graddy came through with a one-out RBI triple to deep right center to make it 1-0 Broncos.
CSUSM would quickly respond with two runs on a pair of hits including Mellano's leadoff home run. His first of the season. This was the first of three consecutive two-run innings at the plate for the Cougars.
The Broncos wouldn't go away that easy despite trailing 6-1 going into the top of eighth. CPP scored four runs on two hits including two runs coming on a bases-loaded walk and hit by pitch to make the score 6-5 after eight innings.
A 1-2-3 ninth inning from junior
Brandon Bachman earned him his second save of the season and secured the win for CSUSM. Bachman worked 1.1 innings, giving up no runs and one hit while striking out one.
CSUSM did not commit an error for the third consecutive game.
CPP's Jacob Bernardy finished 3-for-4 with an RBI.
GAME 2: CPP 15 – CSUSM 1
As they did in the first game, CPP would score first in night cap. On the first pitch of the inning, Place launched a ball over the right field wall for his third home run of the season and tie the score at 1-1.
The rest was all CPP as the Broncos scored 11 runs, spreading them out over the next four innings including eight in the fifth to make it 12-1.
The CSUSM pitching staff combined for eight walks.
Junior
Brennan Piceno (0-1) took the loss after going 3.2 innings, surrendering 10 hits, four runs and two walks while striking out six.
CPP had three players tally three hits each and as a team, the Broncos outhit the Cougars, 20-5, for the game.
