SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Seven hundred days removed from its last contest, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team (1-1) opened the season with a 6-2 win over Regis (1-4-1) before falling 13-9 in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader at CSUSM Baseball Field.
 
GAME 1: CSUSM 6 - REGIS 2
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Niko Diaz – 2-for-3 | 3 RBIs | 2 R | 2 BB | 1 2B
Griffin Teisher – 2-for-3 | 1 R | 1 2B | 1 HBP
Kevin Van Linge – 2-for-5 | 1 RBI
Garrett Apker – 4 IP | 8 K | 1 R | 1 ER | 1 BB
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Two on and one out in the bottom of the first, Mark Stanford started the scoring with an RBI single through the left side to plate Diaz for the early 1-0 lead.
• Regis knotted it at 1-1 in the top of the second with a solo homer to left by Colten Chase.
• With runners on first and second, Diaz hit a two-out double to left center to score Teisher and Gabriel Ponce de Leon to give CSUSM a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Ethan Rivera hit a two-out solo homer to left center to advance CSUSM's lead to 4-1.
• After Ponce de Leon walked and stole second to begin the bottom of the sixth, he scored on an infield single by Diaz to put the Cougars up 5-1.
• Regis made it 5-2 in the top of the 7th on a bases-loaded walk.
• The Cougars scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth. With two on and no outs, a Van Linge single down the left field line allowed Diaz to score from second to give CSUSM a 6-2 lead.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Cougars last opened a season with a win in 2019 against MSU Denver.
• Reliever Conner Gleissner (1-0) took the win for CSUSM after throwing two shutout innings of relief.
• Regis starter Brady Gilmore (1-1) took the loss after allowing seven hits, five runs (three earned), three walks and striking out three.
• Apker's eight strikeouts were a career high.
• CSUSM's pitching staff recorded 14 strikeouts for the game – tying for the fourth most in program history.

 
 
GAME 2: CSUSM 9 - REGIS 13 (7 INN.)
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Niko Diaz – 2-for-5 | 4 RBIs | 1 R | 2 2B
Emilio Luna – 2-for-4 | 2 R | 2 SB | 1 BB
Adam Chadwick – 1-for-3 | 1 RBI | 1 R | 1 BB
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Regis took a 2-0 lead in the very first frame with a sacrifice fly by Matt Marlow and an RBI double down the left field line by Thomas Alexander.
• CSUSM halved Regis' lead in the bottom of the inning as Kevin Van Linge drew a bases-loaded walk to score Luna with one out.
• The Cougars took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second thanks to 2-run double that scored Griffin Teisher and Aiden Richert.
• Regis struck for a six-run inning in the top of the third to go up 8-3 on six hits.
• An RBI single to left by Chadwick scored Ethan Rivera from second with two outs and cut CSUSM's deficit to 8-4 in the bottom of the third.
• The Rangers hung up three more runs in the top of the fourth on a balk, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single to left to go up 11-4.
• In the bottom of the fourth, CSUSM made it 11-6 as Diaz scored from third on an infield error before Luna stole home on a double steal.
• The Rangers' Colten Chase hit a solo blast to center in the top of the fifth to put Regis up 12-6.
• With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fifth, Chadwick scored on a wild pitch before Teisher scored on an RBI groundout by Diaz to move the deficit to 12-8.
• Regis plated its final run in the top of the seventh. Chase stole third and scored on a CSUSM throwing error that went over the third baseman's head to give the Rangers a 13-8 lead.
• The Cougars scored the game's final run in the bottom of the seventh as Richert scored from third on an infield error.

 
QUICK HITS

• Cougar starter Tommy Garcia (0-1) took the loss after allowing eight earned runs with nine hits and two hit-by-pitches in 2.2 innings of work.
• Ranger starter Zach Harstad (1-0) earned the win after giving up six runs (five unearned) on nine hits and three walks.
• Diaz's four RBIs and two double were both career highs. He ended the weekend with a team-best four hits and seven RBIs.

 

Head Coach Matt Guiliano gives his thoughts on the Cougars after the team's first two games since 2020. #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/Rx0XfZqvw6

— CSUSM Baseball (@CSUSMBaseball) February 7, 2022

UP NEXT
CSUSM will host Concordia University Irvine (3-0-1) in a midweek contest on Tuesday at 2 p.m.