SAN MARCOS, Calif. – In a high-scoring affair, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team (6-8, 2-2 CCAA) defeated Cal State LA (9-9, 4-4 CCAA) by a score of 21-18 in the series finale to split the four-game series at CSUSM Baseball Field on Monday.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Kevin Van Linge – 4-for-5 | 5 RBIs | 4 R | 2 BB | 1 2B
Luke Reece – 3-for-5 | 5 RBIs | 4 R | 3 2B | 2 BB
Ethan Rivera – 3-for-5 | 5 RBIs | 2 2B | 1 R | 1 BB | 1 SF
Pat MacDonald Jr. – 1-for-3 | 3 RBI | 3 BB | 2 R | 1 2B | 1 SF
Gabriel Ponce de Leon – 3-for-4 | 5 R | 3 BB | 1 RBI
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• LA got the scoring started in the top of the first inning as it took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single up the middle with two outs by Drew Emmons. 
• The Cougars went up 3-1 in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run double by Van Linge and an RBI single by Rivera.
• The Golden Eagles knotted it up at 3-3 in the top of the second on an RBI single by Johnny Pacheco and a sacrifice fly to right by Wilem Drozdowski.
• CSUSM put together an eight-run inning in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly by Rivera, a two-run double by MacDonald (who scored on a wild pitch), a bases-loaded walk by Ponce de Leon and a three-run double by Reece to go up 11-3.
• LA then had a seven-run inning in the top of the fourth on Pacheco's RBI single, a two-run single by Drozdowski, RBI singles by Will Picketts and Gerardo Casteneda before a two-run double by Hayden Luff ended the scoring and cut CSUSM's lead to 11-10.
• A sacrifice fly to right by MacDonald put CSUSM up 12-10 in the bottom of the fourth.
• The Golden Eagles knotted the game at 12-all in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI triple by Pacheco and an RBI single by AJ Salgado.
• LA took its second lead of the game in the top of the seventh as Salgado scored from third on a wild pitch to give the Golden Eagles a 13-12 lead.
• CSUSM put together a six-run inning in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run double by Reece, an RBI single by Van Linge, an RBI double by Rivera and a dropped ball in the outfield by LA that scored Rivera and MacDonald.
• Trailing 18-13 entering the top of the eighth, LA made it an 18-15 game on an RBI double to left center by Luff and a sac fly to right by Nick Atkins.
• CSUSM scored its final runs in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single to center by Van Linge and a two-run double down the right field line by Rivera to go up 21-15.
• LA mounted one last comeback attempt in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Castaneda and a two-run single by Michael Rosales to make to 21-18. Following the last run by LA, Cougar reliever Conner Gleissner ended the four-plus hour game with a strikeout.

 
QUICK HITS

• This was the first series split between CSUSM and LA in the all-time series.
• The Cougars now lead the Golden Eagles 13-11 in the all-time series and are 8-4 at home.
• CSUSM's 21 runs tied for the seventh most its ever scored in a game. The Cougars last scored 20-plus runs in 2018 at Cal State San Bernardino as they tallied 22.
• The Cougars' seven doubles tied for the fourth most in program history.
• CSUSM's 19 RBIs as a team tied for the eighth most in team history.
• CSUSM was walked 15 times – the second most in school history.
• The Cougars last started CCAA play at 2-2 in 2020 after splitting with Cal State Dominguez Hills.
• Van Linge and Rivera each tallied their team-leading sixth multi-hit game of the season.
• Ponce de Leon and Reece each have the longest active hitting streak on the team at six games.
• This was Rivera's team-leading sixth game with multiple RBIs.

 
UP NEXT
CSUSM will continue CCAA play on Friday as it heads up to Carson to begin a four-game series against Cal State Dominguez Hills. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.