Game 1 Box

Game 2 Box

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s baseball team apparently just needed a return to Reeder Field to get things straightened out against conference-leading UC San Diego.
 
The Golden Eagles, after dropping games in La Jolla on Thursday and Friday to open the series, swept a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader from the Tritons on Saturday, 5-2 and 3-0. The Golden Eagles (24-18, 20-16 CCAA) remain in the running for one of the four spots in the CCAA Championship Tournament.
 
Cal State L.A. will conclude its conference slate in a doubleheader on Monday at Cal State East Bay. The Golden Eagles finished with a 17-4 home record, but carry just a 7-14 record away from home. UC San Diego (28-20, 26-14 CCAA) continue to hold the conference lead.
 
Cal State L.A. got home runs from Daniel Duran and Nick Rodarte in the opener to back a solid outing from Justin Harr. The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead after five innings and never looked back. Harr went 7 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits and two runs, only one of them earned. He walked two and struck out two.
 
Jacob Valenzuela got the final out of the eighth inning and Sergio Luna pitched a perfect ninth inning for his first save.
 
It was not a cleanly-played game and the teams combined for six errors. Cal State L.A. took a 1-0 lead in the second on an unearned run and Rodarte added a solo home run to finish off a two-run inning in the third.
 
Duran hit a solo home run leading off the fifth to make it 4-0.
 
UC San Diego scored its first run in the sixth on a run-scoring double by Scott Liske, but Cal State L.A. got that run back in the seventh on a single by James Wharton. The Tritons threatened in the eighth and got a run-scoring single Justin Rahn to make it 5-2. UC San Diego had two on and two out when Valenzuela came on and got a ground ball out to end the inning. Luna retired all three batters he faced in the ninth.
 
In the nightcap, Asakura was simply overpowering and turned in his best outing of the season. He didn't allow a hit until two were out in the sixth when Spencer Frazier singled into the hole between third and short. Danny Susdorf followed with a single and Richard Seigel walked to load the bases. Asakura, though, got Garrett Tuck to fly out to end the inning.
 
He then struck out the side to end it. Asakura walked two and struck out eight and improved to 6-3 on the season.
 
Cliff Quick delivered a key two-run single in the opening inning to give Asakura all the runs he would need. Joe Park singled in the other run in the fifth.

The Golden Eagles honored their 11 seniors -- Brian Compton, David Compton, Jacob Valenzuela, Daniel Duran, David Arredondo, Nick Rodarte, Andrew Allen, Chad Nacapoy, Cliff Quick, Gabriel Asakura and Joe Park -- in ceremonies in between games.
 
Cal State L.A. will now finish the conference schedule on Monday at Cal State East Bay, most likely needing two wins to keep alive their conference tournament aspirations.