Cuesta and the College of the Sequoias both entered this week's three-game series ranked #10 in their Pre-season Regional Poll, the Cougars in the South, and Giants in the North.  They split the first two games with the Giants winning, 4-3, in Visalia on Thursday and the Cougars winning, 9-0, in SLO yesterday.  The rubber match was also played at Cuesta College, and it looked like the Cougars were en route to another win, until the Giants tacked up nine runs in the 5th inning.  Both teams scored twice in their first at-bat, but the Cougars built a 6-3 lead, before being trapped in the 5th inning for nearly 45 minutes.  The Cougars lifted Starter Woody Brennen before the inning, however their three relievers combined to allow nine runs in the frame to put Cuesta behind, 12-6.  The Cougars and Giants each scored a single run over the next two innings, but Cuesta began closed the gap after the 7^th inning stretch. The Cougars scored twice after the stretch and Designated Hitter Liam MacDonald's three-run home run in the 8th inning made it a one-run game, 13-12, heading into the 9th.  The Giants went down in order in the top of the 9th, so when Shortstop Ryan Fenn singled and stole second the Cougars were only 180 feet away from tying the game.  And that is where they stayed, as a groundout ended the game.  

Fenn joined his double-play partner, Second Baseman Diego Murillo, with a team-leading three hits on the day.  Murillo also scored twice and drove in a pair of runs, while Fenn scored once and drove in three runs.  Cuesta is 2-8 on the season and plays at Reedley next Tuesday (2 PM)