Box Score LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s baseball team staged a comeback for the ages Sunday afternoon to post a dramatic win over Cal State East Bay in the finale of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series.
 
The Golden Eagles scored six times in the bottom of the ninth to stun the Pioneers, 10-9, at Reeder Field. Cal State L.A. (25-13, 22-6 CCAA) tied the game on a grand slam by James Wharton and then won it when Niko Garcia's squeeze bunt was perfect and scored pinch runner Trevor Hopkins with the winning run.
 
Cal State L.A. completed a series sweep and ran its winning streak to nine games.
 
The Golden Eagles trailed 8-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, but scored three times to make it 8-4. After Cal State East Bay got one run back in the top of the ninth, the Golden Eagles dramatically roared back for the win.
 
Jordan Castro got the ball rolling for the Golden Eagles by drawing a walk to lead off the ninth. Casey Ryan then lined a single to left and Scott Masik drew a walk to load the bases. Jeremy Weber walked on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run to make it 9-5 and Wharton promptly tied it by belting the first pitch he saw from Cal State East Bay reliever Charlie Sharrer over the centerfield fence to tie it.
 
Cody Doyle drilled a single to right-center and Tyler Christian followed with a single up the middle. Hopkins came on as a pinch runner for Doyle and both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Cooperstone.
 
That set the stage for Garcia, who, on a 2-1 pitch from reliever Bryce Vidmar, dropped a beautiful bunt with Hopkins running from third. Vidmar made a nice effort to try to extend the game, but Hopkins beat the throw home with a headfirst slide to win the game.
 
Wharton now has a team-leading nine home runs and 38 RBI.
 
Cal State East Bay (24-14, 14-14 CCAA) appeared to be in control of the game thanks to an effective start from Nick Hudson, who limited the Golden Eagles to just four hits and one run through seven innings. Eren Miravalles and Brandon Alexander had three hits each for the Pioneers and Alexander, Kyle Zozaya, Sharrer and Andrew Rodriguez had two RBI each.
 
The Golden Eagles, though, began chipping away after bunching together five hits for three runs in the eighth off of Hudson. Ryan singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by Hudson to start the inning. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a run-scoring single by Weber. Wharton followed with a double and Weber scored on a groundout by Doyle. Christian then singled Wharton to third and Wharton then scored on a single by Cooperstone to make it 8-4.
 
Shawn Meusborn, the fourth Cal State L.A. pitcher, surrendered just one run in the top of the ninth and picked up the win.
 
Ryan had three hits and scored three runs, while Masik, Wharton, Doyle and Christian had two hits each for the Golden Eagles.
 
Cal State L.A. will return to action on Friday in the opener of a four-game CCAA series at Sonoma State.