SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team (29-14, 16-12 CCAA) earned the series win over Cal State LA (26-24, 16-16 CCAA) with a 12-3 victory on Sunday afternoon at Dennis A. Pugh Field.
 
Before the game, CSUSM celebrated its 12 seniors: Jake Adams, Blake Browning, Jake Callahan, Stephen Espinoza, Luke Higgins, Rees Kent, Zach Romero, Zech Samayoa, Max Shor, Michael Weber and PJ Wendler.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Zech Samayoa – 2-for-4 | 3 RBIs | 2 R | 1 HR | 1 HBP
Stephen Espinoza – 2-for-5 | 3 RBIs | 1 R | 1 HR
Canon King – 2-for-5 | 2 RBIs | 2 R
Rees Kent – 2-for-4 | 1 RBI | 1 R | 1 SAC
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSM took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to left center by Stephen Espinoza.
• LA tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second with an RBI single to center by Kadyn Victorian.
• The Cougars broke out for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homer to left center by Stephen Espinoza, an RBI single to right by Rees Kent, a bases-loaded walk by Max Shor, a two-run single by Canon King and a Golden Eagle fielding error that plated King and Jacob Embleton to make it 9-1.
• History was made in the bottom of the seventh. In his final home at-bat, Zech Samayoa launched a three-run homer to left to make it 12-1 while breaking CSUSM's single-season record for RBIs by earning his 59th of the season and tying the program's single-season home run record with his 18th of the year. His RBI total surpassed Ray Patchen's 2015 record of 56 while matching Austin Way's 2008 home run total of 18.
• LA was only able to come up with two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run single by Cesar Chavez to make it 12-3.

 
QUICK HITS

• In his final home start for CSUSM, Luke Higgins (2-3) earned the win after tossing a career-high eight strikeouts while allowing one earned run on four hits and five walks in 5.1 innings. His eight K's were the most by a Cougar pitcher this season.
• LA starter Brandon Gutierrez (4-4) took the loss after giving up seven earned runs on nine hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out four in 4.1 innings.
• Mikey Gray earned his first career save after striking out four while allowing two earned runs on three hits, two hit-by-pitches and a walk in 3.2 innings.
• CSUSM took sole possession of third place in the CCAA standings and sits one game back of second-place Cal Poly Pomona and 1.5 games ahead of fourth-place Cal State San Bernardino entering the final week of the regular season.
• Christopher Tampoya extended his reached-base streak to 17 games while Espinoza improved his to 15 games.
• Samayoa notched his team-best 18th multi-RBI game of the season.
• CSUSM's 29 overall wins for the year are the team's most since tallying a program-record 36 in the Cougars' final year of NAIA play in 2015.
• The Cougars concluded their home slate with a 19-8 record, earning their most wins since recording 24 in 2015.

 
UP NEXT
Looking to officially lock up a CCAA Tournament berth for the third consecutive season, CSUSM will head to second-place Cal Poly Pomona (27-18, 17-11 CCAA) for its final four regular-season games beginning on Thursday at 6 p.m.