SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team (23-12, 10-10 CCAA) fell twice by scores 19-5 and 9-4 to close its series against No. 12 Cal State Monterey Bay (28-10, 13-7 CCAA) on Saturday at Dennis A. Pugh Field.
 
GAME 1: CSUSM 5 – CSUMB 19
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Zech Samayoa – 1-for-4 | 3 RBIs | 1 R | 1 HR
Jacob Embleton – 2-for-3 | 2 R | 1 BB | 1 HBP
Stephen Espinoza – 2-for-3 | 1 BB
Canon King – 2-for-5 | 1 R
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Otters began the game by going up 2-0 on an RBI single to center by James Starkus and a sacrifice fly to right by Andrew Lehmann.
• CSUSM responded in the bottom of the third with a three-run homer to left center by Zech Samayoa to take a 3-2 lead.
• An RBI single to right by Rees Kent put CSUSM ahead 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
• CSUMB put up a six-run inning in the top of the fifth on a ground-rule double by Lehmann, a two-run single by Kyle Olimpia, an RBI single by Noah Zertuche, a CSUSM throwing error that allowed Zertuche to score and an RBI double by Bobby Benavidez to go up 8-4.
• An RBI single to center by pinch-hitter Victor Castaneda cut the Cougars' deficit to 8-5 in the bottom of the fifth.
• A leadoff homer to right by Zertuche, an RBI double by Xander Sielken, an RBI single by Starkus and a three-run homer to right by Lehmann capped off another six-run inning by the Otters and gave them a 14-5 lead in the top of the seventh.
• An RBI groundout to second by Nick Maestas gave CSUMB a 15-5 lead in the top of the eighth.
• The Otters closed out the game by adding four runs in the top of the ninth to make it 19-5 on a two-run double by Lehmann, a sac fly by Zertuche and an RBI single by Maestas.

 
QUICK HITS

• Otter starter Daniel Flores (3-2) earned the win after striking out five while allowing five earned runs on 11 hits and two walks in 5.2 innings.
• Cougar starter Ben Pernetti (1-3) took the loss after giving up eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits, two walks and two hit-by-pitches in 4.2 innings.
• Reliever Jacob Parks earned his first save of the year for CSUMB after striking out two while allowing a hit and a hit-by-pitch in 3.1 innings.
• Samayoa's 14th homer of the year moved him to third for the most in a single season at CSUSM. He's now three behind James Scott's 2009 total of 17 and four behind Austin Way's single-season record of 18 set in 2008.
• Canon King extended his team-best reached-base streak to 22 games

 
GAME 2: CSUSM 4 – CSUMB 9
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Stephen Espinoza – 1-for-4 | 2 RBIs | 1 R | 1 3B
Victor Castaneda – 1-for-3 | 1 RBI | 1 R
Christopher Tampoya – 1-for-3 | 1 RBI
Jacob Embleton – 2-for-4 | 1 R
Max Shor – 2-for-3 | 1 R | 1 2B
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSM got out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-run triple to right center by Stephen Espinoza and an RBI single through the left side by Christopher Tampoya.
• CSUMB made it a one-run game in the top of the second on a sac fly by Noah Zertuche and an RBI single to second by Nick Maestas to make it 3-2.
• The Cougars earned a run back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI infield single by Victor Castaneda to go up 4-2.
• An RBI single to center by Monterey Bay's Andrew Lehmann made it a one-run game once again at 4-3 in the top of the third.
• The Otters maintained control for the rest of the contest with a three-run homer from Conner Smith in the fifth inning, an RBI single by Maestas in the seventh and a two-run double by Maestas in the eighth to end the series with a 9-4 win.

 
QUICK HITS

• CSUMB starter Andrew Kotin (8-1) earned the win, throwing three strikeouts while allowing four runs (one earned) on 10 hits in 6.0 innings.
• CSUSM reliever Trevor Morgan (3-2) took the loss after allowing three earned runs on six hits and a hit-by-pitch while striking out two in 2.1 innings.
• Jacob Embleton tallied his 11th multi-hit game, tying for the team lead.
• Canon King saw his team-best 22-game reached-base streak come to an end.

 
UP NEXT
CSUSM will head to Hayward to face Cal State East Bay in a four-game series beginning on Friday at 3 p.m.