SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team took game two, 7-4, over Cal State Dominguez Hills after falling in game one, 17-11, on Thursday in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) doubleheader played at the CSUSM Baseball Field.
Three Cougars ended the day with four hits. Sophomore
Anthony Rodriguez went 4-for-8 with two doubles and a pair of runs. Junior
Marcus Wilhite finished 4-for-9 with four doubles, four RBIs and two runs. Classmate
Austin Ott tallied four hits in nine at-bats including two doubles, a triple, four RBIs and two runs. Junior
Taylor Greene (4-0) earned the win after working 3.0 innings out of the bullpen, giving up two hits and no runs while striking out five.
CSUSM will hit the road and travel to Carson to wrap up the CSUDH series with a doubleheader at Toro Field on Sunday, March 4. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
GAME 1: CSUDH 17 – CSUSM 11
Heading to the top of the third inning scoreless, it was the Toros to strike first. A one-out hit by pitch led to a two-run home run by Dalton Duarte to put CSUDH ahead 2-0. They would later add two more runs in the inning on back-to-back RBI singles from Kaelan Crisosto and Daryl Donerson to make it 4-0.
After a groundout to start the top of the fourth inning, CSUDH had seven straight base runners reach and eventually scored six runs on five hits including three walks and a hit batsman in the frame to make it 10-0 Toros.
CSUSM would respond with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on RBI doubles from Wilhite and Rodriguez to cut the deficit to eight at 10-2.
The Toro offense would continue to put runs up on the scoreboard with back-to-back home runs from Duarte and Esteban Ortega to start the fifth. The Toros would add three more runs in the inning on RBIs from Trevor North and Kai Gomez with the final run coming on a passed ball. CSUDH would eventually send 11 hitters to the plate in the frame and lead 15-2.
The Cougars offense began to chip away at the Toro lead with seven runs on eight hits in the bottom of the seventh to make it 17-9 CSUDH.
CSUSM would add its final two runs of the game in the eighth inning following RBIs from junior
Cabot Van Til and Ott.
CSUDH starting pitcher Rigo Fernandez (2-0) earned the win going 5.0 innings, giving up three hits, two runs, six walks and struck out nine.
Making his college debut on the mound, freshman
Michael Lopez (0-1) took the loss after working 3.1 innings, issuing two walks and seven runs.
The Cougars' pitching staff combined for nine hit-by-pitches and seven walks in the game.
GAME 2: CSUSM 7 – CSUDH 4
After a scoreless first inning, the Toros jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the next frame on RBIs from Evan Yeager and Gomez.
CSUSM would answer back with three-straight baserunners to open the third including back-to-back extra base-hit RBIs from junior
Näshéa Diggs and Ott . The Cougars would score three runs on four hits in the frame and take a 3-2 lead into the fifth.
After Diggs leadoff walk, Ott tripled down the right field line for his second RBI of the game.
Aidan Stinnett followed with a sacrifice fly to score Ott and push the Cougar lead to 5-2.
The Toros would get one back on an RBI from Gomez in the sixth before CSUSM quickly responded with a run of its own. Senior
Tyler Place's sacrifice fly would give the Cougars a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the inning.
Junior
Justin Mellano added a big insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning with a leadoff solo home run to deep center field for his second-long ball of the season to make it 7-3.
The Toros wouldn't go away quietly. Yeager led off the ninth with a home run to trim the CSUSM lead to 7-4 before junior
Brandon Bachman recorded the final three-outs, including two strikeouts in the inning.
CSUSM used four pitchers in the game including junior
Troy Lamparello who started and went 2.0 innings, giving up one run on three hits. Bachman recorded his third save of the season after working two innings, surrendering a hit and a run while striking out three.
