Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s baseball team got a grand finale to Saturday's California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader against Cal State San Bernardino courtesy of
Mario Ramirez.
Ramirez rifled a two-out, 0-2 pitch over the right-centerfield fence for a game-winning grand slam to lift Cal State L.A. to a dramatic 7-6 win in the nightcap and a doubleheader sweep over Cal State San Bernardino. Cal State L.A. (18-9, 11-5 CCAA) also took the opener, 12-3, behind the outstanding pitching of
Nathan Pickett.
Cal State San Bernardino (13-12, 9-7 CCAA) appeared to have things in hand in the nightcap and took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Aaron Brooks, who was solid through the first six innings, gave up an infield single to
Travis Tartamella and, with one out, a sharp single up the middle by
Jesus Campos. Closer Ian O'Connor came in and issued walks to
Chris Lloyd and
Matt Miraldi to force in a run and make it 6-3. After O'Connor got pinch hitter
Michael Vinyard out on strikes, he got ahead of Ramirez 0-2. Ramirez fouled off one 0-2 pitch before hitting his team-leading fifth home run, a line shot over the right-centerfield fence.
It was a dramatic finish to a game that was dominated up until that point by a potent long-ball attack by the Coyotes and the pitching of Brooks. Cal State San Bernardino got a three-run home run by Jesus Beltran in the third inning to erase a 2-0 deficit and got a solo home run from Andrew Tapia in the fourth inning and solo home runs from Johnnie Haas and Jordan Lowe in the seventh to take its 6-2 lead into the seventh.
Cal State L.A.'s first two runs came on a two-out RBI single by Campos, who took second on a late throw to the plate and then came all the way around to score when O'Connor's attempt to nail him at second sailed into centerfield.
The grand slam home run by Ramirez capped a big day for the Golden Eagles' leading hitter. He was also 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored in the opener.
Camron Collard got the final two outs for the Golden Eagles to pick up the win.
The Golden Eagles took quick control of the opener, erasing a 2-0 deficit with a six-run third inning and then adding four more runs in the fourth to take a 10-2 lead after four innings. That was more than enough for Pickett, who had one of his best outings of the season. He surrendered only five hits and one unearned run in seven strong innings. He walked two and struck out four and didn't allow a run over his last five innings of work.
Cal State L.A. collected 15 hits in the opener, including two each from Ramirez,
Toby Davis,
Eric Quintero, Campos and Lloyd.
Julio Torres drove in the first run of the game when his sharp grounder down the first-base line eluded Moya and wound up going for a triple. He then scored on a passed ball.
Cal State L.A. bunched together five hits in the third inning to score six times and take the lead for good. Miraldi singled with one out, took second on a walk to
Brendan McQuaid and scored on a single by Ramirez. Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Moya cleared the bases with a three-run double that gave the Golden Eagles a 4-2 lead. Tartamella followed with a booming two-run home run over the centerfield fence to make it 6-2.
The Golden Eagles put the game away with four runs in the fourth. A two-run single by Quintero was the big hit of the inning.
Lloyd doubled and scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Moya in the fifth to make it 11-2 and the Golden Eagles wrapped up their scoring with a run in the eighth inning on a run-scoring single by Campos.
Cal State L.A. will be off until March 26 when the Golden Eagles host Cal State Dominguez Hills in the opener of a four-game series.
