SEASIDE -- Cal State LA's baseball team suffered the same frustrating fate in both halves of Saturday's California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader at Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Golden Eagles lost leads in both games and dropped a pair of one-run decisions to the Otters. Cal State LA had a 6-0 lead in the opener, only to fall, 8-7 and then had a 3-0 lead in the nightcap before falling, 6-5. Cal State LA (15-9, 8-6 CCAA) had 22 hits in the doubleheader, including first-inning home runs in both games from
Sean Watkins.
Jorge Garcia also belted a home run for the Golden Eagles.
Cal State Monterey Bay (14-9, 7-5 CCAA) scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning in both games.
Watkins continued his hot hitting for the Golden Eagles and connected for first-inning home runs in both games. He now has eight on the season and leads the CCAA.
Cal State LA jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the opener.
Nathan Navarrete was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by
Christian Broussard, Jr. Watkins followed with a two-run home run to give the Golden Eagles a quick 3-0 advantage.
Drew Seelman had a run-scoring single to start a three-run rally in the fourth. Navarrete also had a run-scoring single and Seelman stole home to give the Golden Eagles a 6-0 lead.
Cal State Monterey Bay, though, scored four times in the fourth, once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead. Garcia hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to tie it, but the Otters struck back for a run in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead. Cal State LA loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but was unable to score.
Broussard allowed five hits and four earned runs in five innings as the starting pitcher.
Daniel Ferrell went two innings and gave up five hits and three runs.
Robbie Stowell retired the only batter he faced and
George Alamillo gave up one hit in two-thirds of an inning.
Watkins hit a two-run home run in the first inning of the nightcap and Cal State LA made it 3-0 in the fourth when a groundout by Navarrete drove in
Mike Alexander.
The Otters got on the board with a run in the fifth and took a 4-3 lead after scoring three times in the sixth.
Cal State LA grabbed the lead back in the seventh inning thanks to a two-run single by Garcia, but the Otters tied it with a run in the bottom of the seventh and got the game-winner in the eighth.
Saxon Andross blanked the Otters over the first four innings and wound up giving up three hits and three runs in five innings of work.
James Mendez gave up two hits and two runs over 1 2/3 innings and
Gabriel Gentner allowed two hits and one run over 1 1/3 innings.
Cal State LA will conclude the three-game series at Cal State Monterey Bay with a single game on Sunday at 11 a.m.
