SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The California State University San Bernardino baseball team picked up a pair of key wins on Saturday, sweeping a CCAA doubleheader against Cal State San Marcos at Dennis A. Pugh Field.

CSUSB won a 16-12 slugfest in game one, before taking down the Cougars 3-2 in game two.

With the wins, the Coyotes improve to 7-12 overall and 2-5 in the CCAA

Game 1: CSUSB 16, Cal State San Marcos 12

Cal State San Marcos took early command of the contest by scoring the first six runs of the game in the second inning. CSUSB answered with three runs in the top of the third to cut the deficit to 6-3. Freshman Tyson Pettingill (Overton, Nev.) drove in the first Coyote run of the game with a double to right center, before an RBI single from Juni Rodriguez (Hemet, Calif.) and a sacrifice fly from Greg Luna (Moreno Valley, Calif.).

The Coyotes continued to chisel away in the fourth on an RBI single from Pettingill, before an RBI Jeremy Giesegh (Upland, Calif.) groundout and a Dom Dominguez (Victorville, Calif.) bases-load hit by pitch leveled the score in the fifth. 

The Cougars briefly reclaimed the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, but CSUSB cut into the lead with a Garret Barto (Pittsburgh, Pa.) RBI single in the top of the sixth. 

The Coyotes were still trailing 8-7 entering the top of the seventh inning, but completely turned the game on its head in the frame. CSUSB scored eight times in the inning, thanks to three-run homers from Rodriguez and Barto, to take a 15-8 advantage. Giesegh and junior Eddie Alfaro (Moreno Valley, Calif.) also had RBI singles in the frame.

San Marcos clawed back to within three in the subsequent frames, but CSUSB notched an insurance run on a Pettingill bases loaded walk to secure the 16-12 win.

CSUSB scattered 23 hits in the victory, paced by a 4-for-7 effort with four RBIs from Rodriguez. Alfaro, Pettingill, Barto, Keedan Nadeau (Highland, Calif.), and Patrick Fregoso (Eastvale, Calif.) all had three hits in the win. 

The win on the hill went to reliever Devyn Hernandez (Pasco, Wash.), who threw 2.2 innings allowing four earned runs.

Game 2: CSUSB 3, Cal State San Marcos 2

While game one was a slugfest, game two was anything but. Neither team scored until the top of the fourth, when Coyote catcher Noah Betanco (San Diego, Calif.) broke the ice with a sac fly to center.

San Marcos scored their only two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but their one-run advantage was short-lived as Giesegh belted a solo homer to left field in the top of the fifth to re-level the score.

In the top of the sixth, CSUSB took the lead for good, again thanks to Giesegh, as the senior plated Betanco with a base hit to left center to put the visitors ahead 3-2.

On the hill, redshirt junior Kailer Saunders (Boise, Idaho) got the win, going the distance in the seven-inning contest, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with four Ks and no walks. 

Offensively, the Yotes were paced by Giesegh and Luna, who each finished with a pair of hits in the game two victory.

The Coyotes will go for the series win on Sunday when they face the Cougars for the series finale at Dennis A. Pugh Field. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m.'

#GoYotes