Box Score

SEASIDE -- Cal State L.A.'s baseball team got some outstanding pitching and some late offense to pick up an important California Collegiate Athletic Association victory.

John Mitchell and John Dunn combined on a seven-hit shutout and the Golden Eagles scored five runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away for a 7-0 win Sunday at the Otter Baseball Field. Cal State L.A. (23-13, 15-9 CCAA) won three times in the four-game conference series. The Golden Eagles are in third place in the conference, one game behind second-place Sonoma State and one game ahead of fourth-place Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Matt Miraldi hit a solo home run to lead off the game for the Golden Eagles, but Cal State L.A. was clinging to a 2-0 lead through six innings when the Golden Eagles struck for four runs in the top of the seventh. An infield single by Travis Tartamella was the only hit of the inning.

That offense was more than enough support for Mitchell, who was outstanding on Sunday. He blanked the Otters on seven hits through eight strong innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out six. Dunn worked a perfect ninth inning to wrap things up. Mitchell improved to 5-2 with the victory.

Cal State L.A. finished with eight hits in the contest. The Golden Eagles also drew seven walks and had a batter hit by a pitch.  Max Moya and Chris Matzner had two hits each. Matzner and Miraldi scored two runs each.

Jacob Flores had three hits for Cal State Monterey Bay (9-31, 4-20 CCAA). Michael Trump gave up only four hits and two runs through six innings for the Otters.

After Miraldi's solo home run got the Golden Eagles off to a quick start, the Golden Eagles added another run in the second after Matzner doubled, took third on a passed ball and scored on a single by Chris Lloyd.

After collecting four hits through the first two innings, Cal State L.A. didn't get another hit until the seventh. The Golden Eagles struck for four runs, all with two outs, in the seventh to finally give Mitchell some breathing room. Jesus Campos started the seventh with a walk and stole second. With two outs and Campos on second, Miraldi was intentionally walked. The runners advanced on a wild pitch and Brendan McQuaid drew a walk to load the bases and Mario Ramirez walked to force in a run and make it 3-0.

Toby Davis and Moya then drew walks to force in a two more runs and Tartamella picked up an infield single for the only hit of the inning to drive in the final run and make it 6-0.

Cal State L.A. scored its final run in the eighth inning. Matzner doubled and McQuaid delivered a two-out single to drive him in.

Mitchell's only real difficulty came in the fourth inning when the Otters got a leadoff single by Shea Davis and a double by Jacob Flores. Mitchell bounced back with a pair of strikeouts and got Steve Mays on a grounder to short to end the threat.

Cal State L.A. will return to action on Thursday night with the opener of an important four-game series against Cal State Stanislaus at Reeder Field.