On Feb. 24, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team swept a twinbill against Dominguez Hills at the CSUSM Baseball Field to claim their second California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series of the season.

The Cougars dominated game one of the day’s doubleheader 7-2 followed by a 9-5 victory in the second game to win the series 3-1.

CSUSM started the day off strong after Austin Ott and Joseph Bahna each recorded an RBI in the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead over the Toros.  Andrew Cowell’s sacrifice fly in the second extended the lead to make it 3-0.

Dominguez Hills responded with their only runs of the game when designated hitter, Joe Canepa, hit a two-run bomb to close the gap a bit in the top of the fourth inning.  However, the Toros’ efforts weren’t enough to stop the Cougars from gaining two more runs in the fourth (Cowell with an RBI double and Ott with an RBI single) and one in the fifth after Andrew Garcia scored on a sacrifice fly.

A sixth inning RBI single by Ott put the Cougars ahead 7-2; this secured the win as no more runs were scored in the final two and a half innings.

Game two began with two scoreless innings and then was propelled into action when the Toros scored four runs in the third inning to force a CSUSM pitching change (Dylan Wannamaker relieved Mason Corneliussen).  The inning ended 4-1 after Grant Buck’s line-drive to left field brought Cabot Van Til home.

During the fourth, Dominguez Hills managed to score one last run before the Cougars turned up the heat.  The bottom half of the inning proved to be pivotal after the Cougars scored eight runs on five hits. It was Garcia’s three-RBI triple that earned CSUSM the 8-5 advantage.  A passed ball by Toros catcher, Grant Decatrel, allowed Garcia to score the final run of the game.

Van Til wrapped up the doubleheader with five hits and four runs total, followed by Ott with three hits and three RBIs on the day.  Cougar pitchers, Brandon Bachman and Garrett Apker, were credited with the day’s wins.

CSUSM improves to 10-4 overall, 6-2 in CCAA (its best start since joining the league) while Dominguez Hills drops to 2-7, 1-7 in CCAA play.

Next up will be a four-game away series against conference opponent, Sonoma State, scheduled to begin on March 8 at 2 p.m