IRVINE, Calif. – After its first six games of the season were canceled due to rain, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team (0-2) was finally able to begin its 2024 campaign with a doubleheader at Concordia University Irvine (2-0) on Saturday. The Cougars fell 10-3 in the first game before falling 6-4 in the second game at Golden Eagles Field.
 
GAME 1: CSUSM 3 – CUI 10
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Cameron Mahaffy – 1-for-4 | 2 RBIs | 1 2B
Evan Scalley – 1-for-3 | 1 R | 1 BB
Mauricio Guardado – 1-for-4 | 1 R | 1 SB
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSM scored its first runs of the season in the top of the first as Mahaffy hit a two-run double down the left field line to score Scalley and Guardado to go up 2-0.
• CUI cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third with an Isaiah Walz RBI single that scored Landry Spitler.
• The Golden Eagles knotted the game at 2-all in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double by Jordan Bolden that allowed Michael Dixon II to score.
• CUI took a commanding 8-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth with two RBI singles, a two-run triple, an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly to left.
• Another sacrifice fly and a CSUSM error that resulted in a CUI run gave the Golden Eagles a 10-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth.
• CSUSM scored the game's final run in the top of the ninth. After Bradley Chesterton reached on a fielder's choice to second, Mateo Lake scored from third on an errant throw to first and cut CSUSM's deficit to 10-3.

 
QUICK HITS

• CUI reliever Jake Covey (1-0) earned the win as he fanned six while allowing an unearned run on three hits and four walks in 4.1 innings.
• CSUSM reliever Conner Gleissner (0-1) took the loss after coming in and allowing five runs on five hits without recording an out.
• Golden Eagle starter Josh Pugh struck out 10 and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in 4.2 innings.
• Cougar starter Sammy Murphy struck out four in 4.0 innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks.
• This was CSUSM's first loss to CUI in Irvine since 2019.

 
 
GAME 2: CSUSM 4 - CUI 6 (7 Inn.)
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Phoenix Sommay – 3-for-4 | 1 R
Mateo Lake – 2-for-4 | 1 RBI
Luke Reece – 1-for-4 | 2 R | 1 HR | 1 RBI
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSM went up 1-0 in the top of the first as Reece hit the Cougars' first home run of the season to right field.
• CUI followed up in the bottom of the first by taking a 3-1 lead after an RBI groundout by Michael Dixon II and a two-run double by Jordan Bolden.
• A passed ball allowed Reece to score from third in the top of the third to cut the Cougars' deficit to 3-2.
• The Golden Eagles went up 5-2 in the bottom of the third with an RBI sacrifice bunt by Cameron Slessor and a wild pitch that scored Vito Fowler from third.
• In the bottom of the fourth, an RBI single by Luke Glascoe scored Isaiah Walz and increased CUI's lead to 6-2.
• After Phoenix Sommay hit a leadoff single to begin the top of the fifth, he later scored on a CUI error to make it a 6-3 game.
• CSUSM made one last go of it in the top of the seventh. After a leadoff walk by Mauricio Guardado and a single by Sommay, Mateo Lake hit a one-out RBI single back up the middle to score Guardado and make it 6-4, but a strikeout and a fly out to left ended the game.

 
QUICK HITS

• CUI starter Riley O'Sullivan (1-0) earned the win after striking out seven and allowing three runs (one earned) in seven hits in 4.2 innings.
• CSUSM starter Luke Higgins (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs (two earned) on three hits, two walks and two hit-by-pitches.
• Golden Eagle reliever Conor Meehan (1) earned the two-inning save as he struck out three while allowing a run on two hits and a walk.
• This was CUI's third consecutive win against CSUSM since last season.

 
UP NEXT
CSUSM will play its first home games of the season by hosting Colorado School of Mines in a three-game series beginning on Friday at 2 p.m. at CSUSM Baseball Field.