SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team (16-9, 15-5 CCAA) earned the series win against No. 19 Cal State Monterey Bay (18-10, 14-6 CCAA) with a 14-7 victory in the series finale on Sunday at CSUSM Baseball Field.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Luke Reece – 3-for-4 | 4 RBIs | 2 R | 2 HR | 1 SB | 1 BB
Garrett Teunissen – 2-for-5 | 1 R | 1 RBI
Phoenix Sommay – 3-for-5 | 3 R | 2 RBIs
Victor Castaneda – 1-for-2 | 2 RBIs | 2 BB | 1 R
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUMB took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third as JJ Engman scored on a CSUSM throwing error to go up 1-0.
• The Cougars hit right back with a three-run blast by Reece to right center to give CSUSM a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first.
• The Otters retook the lead at 4-3 in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by Solis and a two-run double by Engman.
• The Cougars fought back in the bottom of the third as Reece hit his second homer of the day on a solo shot before an RBI single through the right side by Castaneda and a passed ball that scored Mateo Lake gave CSUSM a 6-4 lead.
• Two solo shots by the Otters' Chase Lindemann and Brady Miguel knotted the game at 6-all in the top of the fourth.
• CSUSM scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 10-6 on an RBI single up the middle by Teunissen, a passed ball that scored Sommay, a bases-loaded walk by Castaneda and an RBI single back to the pitcher by Evan Scalley.
• The Cougars added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth with four more runs as Sommay hit a bases-loaded, two-run single to right before an error scored Emilio Luna and a wild pitch scored Sommay to make it 14-6.
• The Otters wrapped up the scoring in the top of the seventh with a leadoff homer by Engman to make it 14-7. CSUSM soon after turned a double play and got a groundout to end the game and take the series.

 
QUICK HITS

• This was CSUSM's first-ever series win against CSUMB and first-ever series victory against a ranked opponent since beginning NCAA Division II play (2016-present).
• The Cougars' last six wins against a ranked opponent have all come against the Otters dating back to 2022.
• The victory put CSUSM back on top of the CCAA standings with a one-game lead over CSUMB.
• Cougar reliever Isaac Ontiveros (2-0) earned the win as he struck out two while allowing two runs on four hits and a hit-by-pitch in 3.1 innings.
• Otter reliever Mitchell Nagel (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch in two-thirds of an inning.
• Teunissen tallied his team-leading 13th multi-hit game of the year.
• Sommay extended his reached-base streak to 20 games and hitting streak to 16.
• Reece had his team-leading eighth multi-RBI game of the season.
• Reece's two home runs now give him seven for the year while his RBI total now stands at 30.

 
UP NEXT
CSUSM will head to the Bay Area next weekend for a four-game series at Cal State East Bay beginning on Thursday at 3 p.m. in Hayward.