SAN MARCOS, Calif. – A late run put the Cal State San Marcos baseball team past Cal State L.A. by a score of 9-8 in its California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series opener on Friday afternoon at CSUSM Baseball Field.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Cabot Van Til – 2-for-4 | 3 RBIs | 2 R | 1 HR | 1 BB
Andrew Garcia – 1-for-3 | 3 RBIs | 1 HR | 1 R | 1 BB
Grant Buck – 3-for-5 | 1 R
Joseph Bahna – 2-for-4 | 1 RBI | 1 BB
Austin Ott – 1-for-3 | 2 R | 1 RBI | 1 BB | 1 SF
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• With a strong wind blowing out to right field, CSULA's Adam Gordon hit a two-run homer to right in the top of the first inning.
• CSUSM cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first as Bahna hit a bases-loaded RBI single up the middle.
• The Golden Eagles put up another two-run homer to right in the top of the second inning off the bat of Nate Alam to go up 4-1.
• On the first pitch he saw, Van Til drilled a three-run homer to right center in the bottom of the second to knot the game at 4-all.
• After CSULA went ahead 5-4 in the top of the fifth, a three-run shot to left center by Garcia put CSUSM up 7-5 in the bottom of the inning.
• Ott put a sacrifice fly into left to score Griffin Teisher in the bottom of the sixth.
• After an RBI single by the Golden Eagles' Tyler Odekirk, a failed pickoff attempt scored Michael Tillman and put CSULA within a run at 8-7 in the seventh.
• The Golden Eagles tied the game at 8-all in the top of the eighth with a sacrifice fly to left by Nic Sandoval.
• An RBI sacrifice bunt with bases loaded by Andrew Cowell down the first base line plated the final run of the game and put CSUSM up 9-8.

 
QUICK HITS

• CSUSM improved to 17-22 (13-20 CCAA) while CSULA dropped to 15-19 (14-16 CCAA).
• Reliever Garrett Apker (4-3) picked up the victory by throwing two strikeouts and allowing two walks in 1.2 innings.
• CSULA reliever Miguel Garcia (1-3) took the loss as he allowed one run on one hit, one walk and a hit-by-pitch in one inning of work.
• The Cougars are now 9-8 in the all-time series against the Golden Eagles and have won three consecutive games against them dating back to last season.
• With the win, CSUSM is  5-2 in home games against CSULA and has won the past four meeting at CSUSM Baseball Field.

 

Head Coach Matt Guiliano discusses @CSUSMBaseball's series opening victory over Cal State L.A. #BleedBlue4Decade2 #goCCAA #ncaaD2 pic.twitter.com/pee63Sf7Vy

— CSUSM Athletics (@CSUSMcougars) April 13, 2019

 
UP NEXT
The Cougars and Golden Eagles will play one final game in San Marcos on Saturday at 3 p.m. before concluding the series with a doubleheader in Los Angeles on Sunday.