SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team (4-3) earned its first series win of the season with a 15-9 victory over Montana State Billings (3-3) in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader before falling 5-1 in the series finale at CSUSM Baseball Field.
 
GAME 1: CSUSM 15 – MSUB 9
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Ethan Rivera – 1-for-5 | 3 RBIs | 3 R | 1 HR | 1 HBP
Luke Reece – 3-for-4 | 2 RBIs | 2 R | 2 BB | 1 2B | 1 SB
Sean McGrew – 2-for-4 | 2 RBIs | 1 R | 1 2B | 1 SF
Jake Adams – 4-for-5 | 2 R | 1 RBI | 1 2B | 1 BB | 1 SB
Niko Diaz – 2-for-4 | 2 R | 1 2B | 1 HBP
Emilio Luna – 1-for-3 | 3 R | 1 RBI | 1 BB | 2 HBP
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to right center by Reece.
• A two-run homer by MSUB's Parker Bleggi gave the Yellowjackets a 2-1 lead in the top of the second.
• CSUSM retook the lead in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly by Demetrius Freeman and an RBI double by McGrew to make it 3-2.
• A Kaden Kirshenbaum solo shot tied the game at 3-all in the top of the third.
• The Cougars once again went ahead with Rivera scoring on a wild pitch and Reece scoring on the throw to second on a successful steal attempt by Adams to make it 5-3.
• A bases-loaded walk by Anthony Pacino in the bottom of the fourth put CSUSM up 6-3.
• The Cougars went up 10-3 in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly by McGrew, Diaz scoring on a Yellowjacket throwing error, an RBI single by Reece and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch by Kyle Morrell.
• MSUB started closing the gap in the top of the sixth with an RBI double by Zach Blaszak and an RBI single by Carson Green.
• The Yellowjackets made it a two-run game in the top of the seventh thanks to a three-run homer by Tyler Godfrey to cut CSUSM's lead to 10-8.
• After an RBI double by Adams in the bottom of the seventh, Rivera hit a three-run homer to left center before Reece scored on a passed ball to make it 15-8.
• MSUB wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth as Kirshenbaum scored after a CSUSM fielding error.

 
QUICK HITS

• CSUSM reliever Josh Kim (2-0) earned the win after coming to begin the fifth inning with a 10-3 lead. He threw two strikeouts while allowing five runs on five hits and one walk.
• MSUB starter Ty Wilson (0-1) took the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits, three walks and five wild pitches in 3.1 innings.
• Cougar starter Luca Staiano earned four strikeouts while allowing three runs on five hits and three walks in 4.0 innings.
• McGrew and Reece each extended their reached-base streak to six games.

 
GAME 2: CSUSM 1 – MSUB 5 (7)
 
TOP PERFOMERS
Ethan Rivera – 2-for-4 | 1 RBI
Sean McGrew – 2-for-4 | 1 R | 1 2B
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Yellowjackets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by Bodee Wright.
• An RBI single down the right field line by Rivera scored McGrew and tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first.
• MSUB took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI single to left by Payton Flynn.
• The Yellowjackets concluded the scoring in the top of the fifth with an RBI single by James Anderson and a two-run single by Wright.

 
QUICK HITS

• Billings starter Cy Miller (1-0) earned the win after throwing four strikeouts and allowing one run on five hits, four walks and a hit-by-pitch.
• Cougar starter Nolan Long (0-2) took the loss after recording seven strikeouts while allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks.
• McGrew and Reece each extended their reached-base streak to seven games.
• CSUSM ended the four-game set with a series victory in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

 
UP NEXT
CSUSM will return to action on Friday as it travels to Concordia University Irvine for a single game at 4 p.m. before coming back to San Marcos to face the Golden Eagles in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m.