SAN FRANCISCO – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team enjoyed a big offensive day to defeat San Francisco State, 10-4, on Saturday afternoon in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play.
 
With the win, the Cougars improve to 10-7 on the season and 5-6 in conference action. The Gators (5-15, 5-10 CCAA) hold a 2-1 lead in the series with the finale slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 11.
 
Senior Tyler Place went 3-for-5 with three runs and two stolen bases. Juniors Austin Ott, Marcus Wilhite and Isaias Torres each had two hits in the game.
 
Junior Brandon Bachman (2-1) collected the win after throwing five innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits and struck out three. Freshman Garrett Apker took the hill next, tossing two shutout innings, allowing just one hit. Senior Aidan Stinnett came in to close out the final two innings and allowed one run on two hits.
 
SF State's starter Matthew Hernandez (1-3) went six innings, allowing four runs on six hits, for the loss.
 
The Cougars led throughout the entire game, scattering 10 runs over six innings.
 
In the second inning, junior Cabot Van Til reached first on an error while attempting a bunt and later scored on junior Domenic Antonacci's infield single.
 
CSUSM extended its lead to 3-0 in the third. Place singled and stole second before scoring on a SF State error that put junior Austin Ott on second. Wilhite followed with a RBI single.
 
The Gators got on the board in the fourth to make it 3-1, taking advantage of a CSUSM error while accumulating two hits in the frame.
 
Antonacci registered an RBI groundout in the top of the sixth before SF State put up two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Gators scored on a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3 CSUSM.
 
CSUSM answered with three runs in the seventh beginning with Place recording a one-out single to right field before moving into scoring position on a balk. The Cougars loaded the bases on Ott's run-scoring single, Wilhite's double down the right field line and Van Til's intentional walk. Torres lined a single up the middle to push two more runs across to extend CSUSM's lead to 7-3.
 
The top of the eighth featured junior Adam Tanoue scoring on a wild pitch and Place plating on Ott's single to right center. SF State's Jordan Abernathy homered to left field in the bottom of frame, 9-4 CSUSM.
 
CSUSM's final run came on junior Näshéa Diggs' RBI double to left field before Stinnett retired the side to end the game.
 
Abernathy led SF State, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs including a solo home run.