Box Score
LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s baseball team had to work overtime Tuesday in a non-conference game against Cal State Dominguez Hills, but
Max Moya made sure the Golden Eagles would be victorious.
The Golden Eagles blew a 5-2 ninth-inning lead, but Moya doubled to drive in
Mario Ramirez with the winning run and Cal State L.A. edged Cal State Dominguez Hills, 6-5, Tuesday at Reeder Field. Cal State L.A. (3-1) won its third straight game since dropping its season opener to Cal State Dominguez Hills, 15-2.
The game between California Collegiate Athletic Association teams was a non-conference contest. The Golden Eagles and Toros will meet in a four-game conference series later this season.
The Golden Eagles, behind solid pitching by starter
Yuichiro Fujiwara and reliever
Camron Collard, took a 5-2 lead into the ninth inning, but couldn't hold it.
Toby Davis came in to pitch from second base, but walked all three batters he faced.
Devon Ramirez came on and gave up a bloop single to shallow right by Sean Beckley that drove in one run. He then walked Dean Benavidez to force in a second run and make it 5-4 before really buckling down.
After striking out pinch hitter Trey Ursich, Ramirez gave up a grounder to Carlos Leyva that was misplayed at second base for an error that tied the game at 5-5 and left the bases loaded. Ramirez then struck out Luis Perez and John Skala to keep the game deadlocked.
Ramirez retired the Toros without a hit over the final two innings. The Golden Eagles finally struck for the game-winner in the 11th inning off Cal State Dominguez Hills reliever Paul Michael Klingsburg, who started the game as the Toro designated hitter.
Ramirez drew a walk and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Ramirez. After
Travis Tartamella drew a walk, Moya doubled to the right-field fence to end the game.
Both starters – Cal State L.A.'s Fujiwara and Cal State Dominguez' Matt Hopps – pitched well in five-inning stints. Fujiwara gave up six hits and two runs, didn't walk a batter and struck out five. Hopps gave up five hits and three runs, but only one earned. He walked two and struck out five.
The Toros struck first, scoring a pair of runs in the second inning. Jon Alia singled to start the inning and took second on a one-out wild pitch. Ade Olanrewaju then tripled to right-center to drive in Alia and he later scored on a two-out single by Benavidez.
The Golden Eagles were blanked through the first four innings, but struck for three runs in the fifth.
Michael Vinyard doubled to left and
Chris Matzner was hit by a pitch to start the rally.
Chris Lloyd put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over and he reached when it was misplayed to load the bases.
Jesus Campos hit a sacrifice fly to score one run and
Mario Ramirez followed with a two-run double to give the Golden Eagles a 3-2 lead.
Cal State L.A. bumped its lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Campos walked with one out and Davis walked with two outs. Tartamella drove in one run with a single and
Michael Vinyard hit a bases-loaded shot that bounced off third baseman Beckley's chest for an infield hit to drive in the second run.
The score stayed at 5-2 before the Toros rallied for their three ninth-inning runs and ultimately set the stage for Moya's game-winning drive.
Cal State L.A. will return to action on Wednesday with a home game against Cal Poly Pomona beginning at 3 p.m.
