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Cougar Baseball Downs Point
Loma for Second Time |
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Austin Way was 3-for-5, Jared
Suwyn was 3-for-4, and Cal State San Marcos baseball is now 2-for-2
against Point Loma this season.
On Wednesday, the Cougars traveled to Point Loma and downed
the Sea Lions 8-5, a week after beating them 9-2. For CSUSM, the win brings them
to 3-4 on the young season. Point
Loma is 5-2, with their only two losses coming to the Cougars. Eric Julienne (1-0) turned in a
very solid performance on the mound in Wednesday’s game.
The sophomore threw 6 innings of 5-hit ball, allowing 3 runs
while striking out 3 and walking 2. Julienne’s outing didn’t
start out well, however, as he gave up a double followed by a single
to start the game. But a timely 4-6-3 double play allowed him to minimize the
damage to one run, and he would settle down quickly. Meanwhile, the Cougar offense
didn’t waste any time in getting that early run back.
Tristan Gale led off the second inning with his team-leading
third home run of the season, tying the game at one.
After Jared Suwyn walked and stole a pair of bases, Terry
Moritz popped a home run over the right field fence, giving CSUSM a
3-1 lead. The following inning, Dane Ponciano doubled in Austin Way to make it 4-1. While Point Loma got runs in the fourth and sixth innings, Julienne successfully avoided the big inning. Moritz singled in Gale in the 6th, and Julienne exited holding a 5-3 lead. That would immediately be
extended in the seventh. Ricardo
Moran and Austin Way led off the inning with base hits, and Mike
Pena sacrificed them over. Gale
was (smartly) intentionally walked, but Suwyn made Point Loma pay by
lacing a two-run single to left.
An Adam Ricciardulli sac fly capped off the scoring and made
the game 8-3. Those insurance runs would prove
necessary, as Point Loma rallied off the Cougar bullpen.
With runners on second and third and just one out, Grant
Harrell was called in to put out the fire.
He did, inducing a sac fly and striking out the inning’s
final batter. With the score 8-5, Harrell
worked around a leadoff double to pitch a scoreless eighth.
Suwyn tossed a perfect ninth for his second save of the
season, and the Cougars got to within one game of .500.
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