Box Score

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s baseball team needed a big rally to even its four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series with Cal State Dominguez Hills and the Golden Eagles got it.

 

The Golden Eagles scored five times in the bottom of the eighth inning to erase a 5-1 deficit and went on to beat the Toros, 6-5, Friday at Reeder Field. Cal State L.A. (19-10, 12-6 CCAA) got the game-winning hit from Brendan McQuaid, who lined a single to left to drive in Chris Lloyd.

 

Cal State L.A. collected 13 hits, including a solo home run from Mario Ramirez that got the big rally started in the eighth inning. Toby Davis had three hits and drove in three runs and his two-run single in the eighth inning tied the score at 5-5.

 

Brian Dearth (2-0) came on in relief of Cal State L.A. starter John Mitchell and got the final two outs of the eighth inning to get the win. John Dunn pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his sixth save.

 

Phillip Van Doren was masterful through seven innings for the Toros, allowing only one run until tiring in the eighth. He left leading, 5-2, with two on and one out and the Golden Eagles picked up three more hits off relievers Danny Torres and Paul Klingsberg to complete the rally. Torres (0-2) was tagged with the loss.

 

The Toros collected nine hits in the game. Derrek Duarte had a pair of hits and drove in three runs to lead Cal State Dominguez Hills. Carlos Leyva led off the game with a solo home run to start a four-run first inning for the Toros, but Mitchell allowed only one run the rest of the way to give his team a chance to rally.

 

Leyva's solo home run got the Toros off to a quick start in the first inning and Cal State Dominguez Hills added a run-scoring double by Klingsberg and a two-run double by Duarte to take a prompt 4-0 lead.

 

The Golden Eagles got one back in the third inning when Davis hit his fourth home run of the season to make it 4-1.

 

Mitchell and Van Doren matched zeros until the eighth inning when the Toros got a double by Kevin Pillar and, after Jon Alia flied out, an intentional walk to Klingsberg. The Toros executed a double-steal and Duarte followed with a double to score Pillar to make it 5-1. Dearth came on and got Luis Perez to hit a grounder to second baseman McQuaid and Klingsberg was thrown out at the plate.

 

The Toros then ran themselves into the final out of the inning when Perez stopped between first and second after a pitch and was nailed trying to get back to first when Tartamella threw to shortstop Jesus Campos, whose strong throw to first nailed Perez while Duarte held at third.

 

The Golden Eagles capitalized in their half of the inning. Ramirez hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season and Miraldi and Tartamella singled. After Torres replaced Van Doren, Campos greeted him with a run-scoring single to make it 5-3. Eric Quintero grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out, but Chris Lloyd was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Davis then followed with his two-run single to tie the game. That brought on Klingsberg, who surrendered the go-ahead single to McQuaid. After Ramirez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Davis was thrown out at home trying to steal while Miraldi was at bat.

 

Dunn came on and retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to earn the save.

 

The Golden Eagles and Toros will conclude the four-game series at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday.