SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team (25-22, 20-18 CCAA) will be playing postseason baseball for the second consecutive season as it earned an 11-8 win over Cal State San Bernardino (29-21, 21-19 CCAA) in a winner-take-all regular-season finale at Fiscalini Field on Saturday.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Marco Pirruccello – 2-for-5 | 5 RBIs | 2 R | 2 HR | 1 BB
Evan Scalley – 1-for-1 | 2 RBIs | 2 R | 1 HR | 1 BB
Phoenix Sommay – 2-for-6 | 1 RBI | 1 R
Zavien Watson – 2-for-6 | 1 RBI | 1 R | 1 2B
Ethan Rivera – 2-for-4 | 2 R | 1 BB
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSB took a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with a two-run homer from Tyler Vanneste, a solo shot from Jacob Mejia and a two-run single by Daryl Ruiz.
• CSUSM charged back in the top of the third with a three-run homer from Marco Pirruccello before a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Fisher Pyatt scored Garrett Teunissen to make it a 5-4 game.
• Pirruccello hit his second home run of the game in the top of the fourth with a two-run shot to right and gave the Cougars a 6-5 lead.
• A CSUSM error on a failed pickoff attempt allowed Jason Shedlock to score and tie the game at 6-all in the bottom of the fourth.
• A bases-loaded walk by Dylan Unangst put the Cougars ahead once again at 7-6 in the top of the sixth.
• A pair of solo homers by Ruiz and Tank Rodriguez put CSUSB back on top at 8-7 in the bottom of the sixth.
• An RBI single from Phoenix Sommay with runners on first and second tied the game at 8-8 in the top of the seventh.
• A pinch-hit two-run homer to right by Evan Scalley gave CSUSM a 10-8 lead in the top of the eighth.
• The Cougars added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on an RBI double by Zavien Watson to score Teunissen from first to go up 11-8.
• With a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the ninth, CSUSM turned a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and clinch the final spot in the CCAA Tournament.

 
QUICK HITS

• CSUSM reliever Jack Clark (2-0) earned the win after striking out one while allowing two earned runs on four hits in 3.0 innings.
• CSUSB reliever Carter Herrera (3-4) took the loss after giving up two unearned runs on three hits while striking out one in 1.2 innings.
• Trevor Eby earned his first save of the season as he struck out one while allowing just two hits in 2.0 innings.
• Pirruccello tallied his third and fourth homer of the year and improved his hitting streak to a team-best 11 games while Scalley earned his third homer.
• Sommay's two hits gave him his team-leading 15th multi-hit game of the year.

 
UP NEXT
As the sixth seed in the CCAA Tournament, CSUSM will play an elimination game against third-seeded San Francisco State on Wednesday at noon at Reeder Field on the campus of Cal State LA.