LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s baseball team got outstanding pitching from Isaac Morales and John Dunn and just enough offense to pick up a big California Collegiate Athletic Association win Thursday night.

 

The Golden Eagles pushed across single runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings and Morales and Dunn made them stand up in a 3-1 Cal State L.A. win over Cal Poly Pomona Thursday at Reeder Field. Cal State L.A. (28-14, 19-10 CCAA) was playing for the first time in 10 days and recorded its fourth straight win.

 

Morales, who broke Cal State L.A's career win record in his last start, upped his victory total to 24 with one of his best outings of the season on Thursday. Morales (5-3) allowed only five hits and one run in 7 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out eight. When he tired in the eighth inning and left with the bases loaded, Dunn came on to get out of the jam and then worked a perfect ninth inning for his ninth save of the season.

 

Cal Poly Pomona (24-18, 14-15 CCAA) also got outstanding starting pitching from freshman Kevin Bosson (3-5), who gave up just six hits and two runs over 6 2/3 innings of work. Brad Wilson finished up for the Broncos and gave up only one hit and one run over the final 1 1/3 innings.

 

Mario Ramirez had a big game at the plate for the Golden Eagles. He went 3-for-4 with a single, double and solo home run in the eighth inning that gave Cal State L.A. a two-run lead heading into the final frame.

 

Erik Riedel and Marcus Makia had two hits each for the Broncos. Cal State L.A. finished with seven hits in the game, while Cal Poly Pomona had five.

 

The game was scoreless into the fourth inning when Cal State L.A. got a leadoff double from Matt Miraldi and a run-scoring double with one out from Ramirez. Cal Poly Pomona then tied the game in the sixth inning thanks to a beautifully-executed suicide squeeze bunt by Joe Villa on a 3-2 pitch. Marcus Makia had doubled to start the inning and moved to third on a fly to right by Frank Klopp.

 

Cal State L.A. regained the lead at 2-1 when Travis Tartamella singled, took second on a groundout and scored on a two-out single by Chris Matzner.

 

Cal Poly Pomona loaded the bases in the eighth inning on a one-out single by Makia, a two-out walk by Villa and an infield hit by Riedel. Dunn, though, came on to get Chris Brehm on a fly to center the end the threat.

 

Ramirez slugged his team-high ninth home run with two outs in the eighth inning to give the Golden Eagles their 3-1 advantage.

 

The two teams will continue the four-game CCAA series on Friday with a single game at Reeder Field beginning at 2 p.m. The series will conclude on Saturday with a doubleheader in Pomona.