Box Score

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s baseball team made things interesting in the last inning Wednesday before John Mitchell put an end to the game with one pitch.

 

The Golden Eagles took a 9-2 lead into the ninth inning, but Cal Poly Pomona rallied and eventually brought the potential tying run to the plate before Mitchell entered and closed the door on a 9-7 Cal State L.A. victory at Reeder Field.

 

Cal State L.A. (4-1) won its fourth straight game in a non-conference contest between California Collegiate Athletic Association members.

 

The Golden Eagles appeared to have things in hand, heading into the ninth inning with that big lead. Cal Poly Pomona, though, closed to within 9-7 after a two-out grand slam home run by Keith Nyeholt. Joe Villa followed with a single and that brought in Mitchell. He only needed one pitch to preserve the win for the Golden Eagles, getting Erik Riedel to hit into a force play to end the game.

 

Mitchell, who was the winning pitcher as a starter in Sunday's nightcap against Cal State San Bernardino, picked up his first save of the season.

 

John Dunn worked the first three innings and blanked the Broncos (3-3) on two hits. He walked one and struck out three and since it was pre-determined that he would be limited to three innings, he earned the win and is now 1-0.

 

Nathan Pickett allowed three hits and one run over three solid innings of relief and Brian Dearth allowed two hits and a run in one inning and Danny DeSantiago pitched a scoreless eighth inning before Wally Goodline came on in the ninth and ran into the two-out trouble.

 

Joshua Krist gave up eight hits and three runs in five innings for the Broncos and took the loss. Cal State L.A. tacked on six runs off three Cal Poly Pomona relievers over the next three innings.

 

Chris Matzner had three hits and four RBI to lead the Cal State L.A. attack. Mario Ramirez and Matt Miraldi had three hits each.

 

Richard McDowell had four hits and Nieholt had two hits and four RBI for Cal Poly Pomona, which collected 12 hits and left 13 runners on base. Cal State L.A. had 13 hits and stranded 10.

 

The Golden Eagles struck first when Matzner singled off the right-field fence to drive in two runs and stake Cal State L.A. to a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

 

The Broncos cut the lead in half in the fifth inning when Chris Brehm doubled and scored on a double by McDowell.

 

Cal State L.A. got that run back in the bottom of the fifth when Miraldi singled, took second on a bunt single by Jesus Campos, advanced to third on an infield single by Mario Ramirez and scored on a sacrifice fly by Travis Tartamella.

 

The Golden Eagles made it 5-1 in the sixth when Chris Lloyd slugged a two-run home run to left field, his first of the season.

 

After Cal Poly Pomona made it 5-2 with a run in the seventh on a run-scoring single by McDowell, the Golden Eagles tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-2 lead. Matzner had the big hit, a two-run double down the left-field line. Campos walked with the bases loaded to force in another run and Mario Ramirez singled in the final run.

 

Cal Poly Pomona then made things tight with its ninth-inning rally. Marcus Makia drew a bases-loaded walk to force in one run and, after Goodline got the second out with a strikeout, Nyeholt homered over the right-field fence to make it 9-7. After Villa singled sharply, the call went to Mitchell and he finished the game with one pitch.

 

Cal State L.A. will return to action on Friday with the opener of a four-game series at Grand Canyon.