SAN MARCOS, Calif. — Cal State East Bay battled until the final out in a high-scoring affair Friday afternoon, but came up just short in a 13-11 loss to Cal State San Marcos at CSUSM Baseball Field in the opener of a CCAA weekend series.
In a game that featured 24 total runs and 28 hits, the Cougars used a nine-run outburst in the fifth inning to overcome multiple early leads by the Pioneers. Despite a season-high 11-run output from East Bay's offense and a 20-hit effort, the Cougars held on late to secure the win.
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GAME SUMMARY |
The Pioneers took the lead in the second inning when Nick Thomson delivered an RBI single to score Aidan Morton. Camron Grant doubled and later scored in the third, followed by Luke Brown's RBI fielder's choice and Jaylen Hodges' run-scoring single to make it 3-0.
CSUSM responded in the bottom of the third with four runs for a 4-3 lead, capped by Zavien Watson's two-run single after Garrett Teunissen's two-run single started the scoring for the Cougars.
East Bay\ regained the lead in the fourth when Dominick Najar's RBI single plated Quinn Ayres for the tying run. Then Grant followed with a two-run single through the middle to make it 6-4.
East Bay added another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Ayres to drive in Morton for a 7-4 lead.
The Cougars' nine-run fifth inning turned the game on its head, featuring Watson's three-run homer and a flurry of runs fueled by singles, walks, hit batters, a wild pitch and a balk. By the end of the inning, San Marcos led 13-7.
Still, the Pioneers fought back. Morton's RBI single in the sixth chipped into the deficit. In the seventh, Grant and Brown each tallied RBI singles to make it 13-10. Brown added another RBI double in the ninth to bring East Bay within two, as the tying run came to the plate, but the comeback fell just short.
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NOTABLE STATS |
- Cal State East Bay's 11 runs marked a season high for scoring.
- Aidan Morton went 4-for-6 with an RBI and is now batting .419, the second-highest average among qualifying batters in the CCAA.
- Camron Grant extended his hitting streak to nine games, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs.
- Nick Thomson recorded a 4-for-4 day with an RBI and a walk.
- Luke Brown drove in three runs and went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.
- Sergio Calderon delivered 3.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three.
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RECORDS |
Cal State East Bay: 15-20, 11-14 CCAA
Cal State San Marcos: 17-15, 12-11 CCAA
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
The Pioneers continue their CCAA series against Cal State San Marcos with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12. First pitches are scheduled for noon and 3 p.m. at CSUSM Baseball Field in San Marcos, California.
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