Box Score LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s baseball team picked up an important win at home Sunday, but it didn't come without some anxious moments.

The Golden Eagles built a 9-2 lead through five innings and then had to hang on for a 9-8 non-conference win over California Collegiate Athletic Association foe UC San Diego. Cal State L.A. (2-4) took two of three from the Tritons (3-2) in the series.

UC San Diego took advantage of three walks and three hit batters to score six times in the eighth inning before Cal State L.A.'s Marcos Casillas got an inning-ending fielder's choice. The Tritons then put the tying run on second base and the potential go-ahead run on first base, but Casillas got the last two outs on fly outs to end the game.

Casillas picked up his second save in the series.

The Golden Eagles had things going their early in the contest. David Armas scattered five hits and allowed only one run in five solid innings to record his first win of the season. Ryan Santhon allowed only an unearned run in his first two innings of work and the Golden Eagles carried a 9-2 lead into the eighth before things began unraveling.

David Trejo had three RBI for the Golden Eagles, while Kyle Peralta was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI, Cody Doyle was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Casey Ryan was 1-for-4 with two RBI and Trent Zaks and Drew Vanisi were both 2-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI.

Michael Mann was 2-for-5 with two RBI for the Tritons, while Erik Lewis had two runs scored and one RBI and Tyler Howley bounced a two-run single up the middle to score two runs in the six-run eighth inning.

Troy Cruz pitched four shutout innings of relief for the Tritons to give UC San Diego a chance at the comeback.

The Golden Eagles scored seven runs in the fourth inning to take the lead. Ryan was hit by a pitch to start the inning and eventually scored on a bases-loaded single by Zaks. Manny Acosta followed with a run-scoring single to make it 2-0 and Trejo singled in two to make it 4-0. Vanisi doubled in a run to extend the lead to 5-0 and Ryan delivered a two-run single to give the Golden Eagles a 7-0 lead.

The Tritons got one run back in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Mann, but the Golden Eagles got two more in the bottom of the inning to make it 9-1. Peralta had a run-scoring double and later scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Trejo.

UC San Diego scored an unearned run in the sixth to make it 9-2 and then took advantage of opportunities in the eighth. Cal State L.A. pitchers forced in three runs on bases-loaded walks or hit batters and an infield single by Spencer Fraser made it 9-6. Howsley then delivered a bouncer up the middle to score two more runs and make it 9-8. Casillas came on and got Cruz to ground to Trejo at second base and he beat the runner to second to end the inning.

The Tritons threatened in the ninth as well and a drive by Mann was tracked down by Ryan in left field at the warning track for the second out and, with runners on first and second, Casillas got a fly ball for the final out to end it.

Cal State L.A. will open CCAA play with the start of a four-game series against Sonoma State on Friday at 2 p.m. at Reeder Field.