Cougars End Season at NCAA West Regional with Losses to Broncos, Sea Lions
SAN DIEGO – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team (27-21) saw its historic 2024 season come to an end with a pair of losses to Cal Poly Pomona (32-22) and No. 4 Point Loma (41-10-1) on Thursday at the NCAA Division II West Regional hosted at Carroll B. Land Stadium at Point Loma Nazarene University. The fifth-seeded Cougars fell 13-5 to the fourth-seeded Broncos in the first game before being eliminated with a 4-2 loss to the top-seeded Sea Lions in the second game.
GAME 1: CSUSM 5 – CPP 13
TOP PERFORMERS
Cameron Mahaffy – 3-for-4 | 2 R | 1 RBI | 1 HR | 1 BB
Luke Reece – 2-for-5 | 1 R | 1 RBI | 1 HR
Evan Scalley – 3-for-4 | 1 R | 1 2B
Phoenix Sommay – 1-for-4 | 1 RBI
Bradley Chesterton – 2-for-3
HOW IT HAPPENED
- CSUSM took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. After a bunt single by Scalley, Mahaffy scored on a throwing error before an RBI groundout by Jordan Ku scored Victor Castaneda.
- CPP plated a run in the bottom of the second with an RBI single to center by Brent Cota to make it a 2-1 game.
- A grand slam to right center by the Broncos' Nick Lugo gave CPP a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the third.
- The Broncos took a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer to right by Jack Sanders.
- CSUSM cut the deficit to 7-4 in the top of the sixth with a solo shot to left by Mahaffy and an RBI fielder's choice by Sommay that scored Scalley.
- CPP made it an 11-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single by Cota, an RBI double by Johnny Pappas, an RBI single by Marco Malerba and a bases-loaded walk by AJ Nimeh.
- Reece ripped his 12th homer of the season on a solo shot to right center in the top of the seventh to cut the Broncos' lead to 11-5.
- CPP upped their lead to 12-5 in the bottom of the seventh with a sacrifice fly to center by Lugo.
- Another sac fly to center by the Broncos' Anthony Gibbons made it a 13-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth.
QUICK HITS
- The Broncos' Caleb Reyes (8-1) earned the win after striking out six while allowing five runs (three earned) on 11 hits and a hit-by-pitch in 8.0 innings.
- The Cougars' Roman Connolly (5-4) took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits, two hit-by-pitches and a walk in 2.2 innings.
- Sommay extended his reached-base streak to 42 games.
GAME 2: CSUSM 2 - PLNU 3
TOP PERFORMERS
Cameron Mahaffy – 2-for-4 | 2 RBIs | 1 2B
Garrett Teunissen – 2-for-4 | 1 R | 1 2B
Ethan Rivera – 2-for-3 | 1 SAC
Evan Scalley – 2-for-4
Spencer Anderson – 6.2 IP | 5 K | 2 ER | 4 H | 2 BB
HOW IT HAPPENED
- CSUSM began the game with a 2-0 lead on a two-run double down the left field line by Mahaffy.
- The Sea Lions broke up the shutout in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to right center by Hunter Otjen, making it a 2-1 game. After a Cougar pitching change, PLNU took a 3-2 lead on an RBI single up the middle by Owen May and an RBI single through the right side by Joey Nicolai.
- PLNU made it a 4-2 game in the bottom of the eighth as Esai Santos scored from second on a CSUSM fielding error.
- After the Cougars got a one-out single in the top of the ninth, CSUSM's season came to a close after the Sea Lions turned a 4-3 double play to end the game.
QUICK HITS
- PLNU starter Dylan Miller (11-2) earned the win after striking out four and allowing two runs on six hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch in 7.0 innings.
- CSUSM reliever Nolan Long (4-2) took the loss after surrendering two unearned runs on four hits and a walk in an inning of work.
- Reaching base for the 43rd consecutive game after getting hit by a pitch, Sommay tied the school record held by Ray Patchen (2015) and Trent Jemmet (2011). Sommay ended the year reaching base in all but one game.
- This was Mahaffy's 12th game with multiple RBIs this season, ranking second on the team.
- Anderson pitched a season-high 6.2 innings while tying his season high for strikeouts with five.
- This was the first game between the Cougars and Sea Lions since Feb. 28, 2015.
- CSUSM and PLNU are now 10-10-1 in the all-time series.
- This was CSUSM's first NCAA Division II West Regional appearance.
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