SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The California State University San Bernardino baseball team split their doubleheader against the Cal State San Marcos Cougars Friday afternoon at Fisclaini Field.
With the split, the Coyotes move to 29-20 with a 21-18 record in CCAA play.
Game 1 - CSUSB 15, Cal State San Marcos 7
CSUSB struck first after back-to-back singles by Tank Rodriguez (Fontana, Calif.) and Tyler Vanneste (Warman, Saskatchewan).
The Coyotes extended their lead in the second inning. Senior Jason Shedlock (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) delivered an RBI single, followed by a two-run homer from Daryl Ruiz (Corona, Calif.), pushing the lead to 5-0.
Cal State San Marcos responded in the top of the third with a pair of two-run home runs, trimming the deficit to 5-4.
CSUSB answered in the bottom of the third. Freshman Noah Betanco (San Diego, Calif.) knocked in two runs with a single, and junior Benji Solano (Chula Vista, Calif.) added another RBI to increase the lead.
The Cougars kept the pressure on, scoring two runs in the fourth and another in the sixth to pull within one at 8-7.
Senior Wyatt Hall (Port Angeles, Wash.) led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run, extending the Coyotes' lead to 9-7. Later in the inning, junior Jeremy Giesegh (Upland, Calif.) doubled and scored on a groundout to make it 11-7.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ruiz and Rodriguez each launched two-run home runs to cap off the offensive explosion.
Junior Matt Romero (Glendora, Calif.) earned the win in relief, allowing just one run over five strong innings.
Game 2 – Cal State San Marcos 9, CSUSB 7
The Coyotes once again struck first, this time in the second inning. Senior Jacob Mejia (Palm Desert, Calif.) doubled in a run, and a few batters later, Solano added an RBI single to give CSUSB a 2-0 lead.
The Cougars bounced back with four runs in the third inning to go up 4-2, then extended the lead to 7-2 in the fifth.
CSUSB began its comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Singles by Giesegh and Vanneste each drove in a run, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
With two outs in the sixth, the Coyotes rallied again. Back-to-back-to-back RBI singles by Ruiz, Giesegh, and Rodriguez tied the game at 7-7.
However, Cal State San Marcos responded with two runs in the top of the seventh to retake the lead. CSUSB brought the tying run to the plate twice in the bottom half but came up short, flying out to right field both times.
CSUSB and Cal State San Marcos conclude their series and the regular season tomorrow with a single game. The winner will advance to the CCAA Tournament, and the loser will see their 2025 season come to a close. First pitch is slated for noon.
#GoYotes
