Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO -- Cal State L.A.'s baseball team salvaged the finale of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series against San Francisco State and it certainly wasn't easy.

The Golden Eagles built a 5-0 lead, but then had to hang on for a 7-5 victory Sunday at Maloney Field. Cal State L.A. (11-7, 7-5 CCAA) had lost the first three games of the conference series by one run and needed to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to preserve its latest lead.

Nick Rodarte had a big day for the Golden Eagles, both at the plate and on the mound. As the team's designated hitter, he went 2-for-2 with four runs batted in. On the mound, he came on relief in the seventh inning for starter Justin Harr and got a key strikeout with the bases loaded and two outs to preserve the Golden Eagle lead.

Rodarte then pitched an effective eight inning and turned things over to Cedar Morgan, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his third save of the season. Harr did an outstanding job as the starter on Sunday, limiting San Francisco State to just eight hits and one earned run over 6 1/3 innings. He blanked the Gators over the first four innings while the Golden Eagles built their lead.

Daniel Duran was 2-for-4 with one RBI, James Wharton was 2-fof-3 with three runs scored and Manny Acosta was 2-for-5 with two runs scored for the Golden Eagles.

Cal State L.A. opened the scoring with three runs in the second inning. Wharton walked and Acosta followed with a double. Brian Compton was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Rodarte delivered a two-run single to give the Golden Eagles the lead. Scott Masik drove in the third run of the inning with a groundout.

The Golden Eagles made it 4-0 in the fourth inning. Compton single, took second when Rodarte walked and scored on a single by Duran. Cal State L.A. extended its advantage to 5-0 in the fifth when Wharton was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a two-out single by Rodarte.

The Gators tightened things up with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Cal State L.A. struck for two more runs in the seventh to make it 7-3. Wharton and Acosta singled to start things and moved up on a sacrifice by Compton. Wharton scored on a wild pitch and Acosta came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Rodarte.

San Francisco State added two runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh to make it 7-5, but Rodarte avoided further damage with his ending-inning strikeout with the bases loaded and Rodarte and Morgan retired the Gators without incident in the final two innings.

Cal State L.A. will return to action on Thursday with the opener of a four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino. All four games will be played this year in San Bernardino.