STOCKTON -- Cal State LA's baseball team made a lot of noise Wednesday in a California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament opener against No. 6 Chico State.

The Golden Eagles belted four home runs, including a pair from Christian Broussard, Jr., but came up just short in a 9-8 loss to the Wildcats at Banner Island Ballpark. Cal State LA (26-23) erased a 3-0 deficit with a four-run fifth inning and then brought the potential tying run to the plate in the eighth and ninth innings before the top-seeded Wildcats escaped with the win.

Broussard hit a towering three-run home run in the fifth inning to give the Golden Eagles a 4-3 lead and he hit a long solo home run in the ninth inning to bring the Golden Eagles to within 9-7. Sean Watkins followed with a home run - his conference-leading 14th of the season - to pull to within 9-8, but Dan Beavers came on for the Wildcats and got the final three outs to end the game.

Mike Alexander also hit a home run, his first of the season, to open Cal State LA's scoring in the fifth inning against conference Pitcher of the Year Casey Costello. The Golden Eagles had Costello, who was 12-0 entering the game, on the ropes in the first and fourth innings, but couldn't break through until the fireworks in the fifth.

Nate Adams kept the Golden Eagles in the game and left with a 4-3 lead and a man on in the fifth. He allowed six hits before leaving after 4 1/3 innings.

Angel Sanchez was 3-for-5 with one run scored for the Golden Eagles, who outhit the Wildcats, 15-12. Broussard was 2-for-5 with his two home runs, which give him nine on the season. Nathan Navarrete, Jorge Garcia and Alexander had two hits each.

The Golden Eagles also played some outstanding defense during the game. Navarrete threw out two baserunners from left field, including a runner at the plate to end the seventh inning. That play seemed to energize the Golden Eagles, who, trailing 9-4, scored twice in the eighth and twice more in the ninth to make things very uncomfortable for the Wildcats. Drew Seelman made a nice running catch in deep left-centerfield in the opening inning, Alexander threw out a Chico State baserunner trying to steal in the third inning to stop a potential rally.

Cal State LA threatened in the first inning by loading the bases with only one out after an infield single by Navarrete, a bunt single by Sanchez and an intentional walk to Watkins. Costello got out of the jam with an inning-ending double play.

Chico State struck first in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run by Cody Snider and extended its lead to 3-0 in the third on a run-scoring single by Josh Falco.

Alexander started the Cal State LA offense with a home run to left field to open up the fifth inning. Navarrete was hit by a pitch with one out and Sanchez single to right to set the stage for Broussard, who drilled a shot well over the left-field fence for a three-run home run and a 4-3 Cal State LA lead. The Golden Eagles knocked Costello out of the game after a booming double by Watkins, but Stuart Bradley got out of the inning without further damage.

The Wildcats regained the lead after Dillon Kelley's two-run home run in the fifth and Chico State took advantage of three walks and three hits to strike for four runs in the sixth inning and extend their lead to 9-4. Chico State took advantage of six walks and four hit batters. Cal State LA got two walks and one hit batter at the plate.

Ryan Dixon came on with the bases loaded and no one out in the seventh and did a masterful job getting the Golden Eagles out of the inning unscathed. He struck out Cameron Santos and then got Kelley to fly out to Navarrete in left. Navarrete fired a strike to home and got Tyler Stofiel at the plate for an inning-ending double play.

Garcia singled up the middle to open the eighth and Isaac Dominguez followed with a line-drive double to right-center. Garrett Dean lined a two-run single to right to make it 9-6. Navarrete walked with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate, but Sanchez lined out to the pitcher to end the threat.

After Dixon got the Wildcats out in order in the bottom of the eighth, Broussard and Watkins opened the ninth inning with back-to-back home runs to make it 9-8. Beavers, though, retired all three batters he faced, two by strikeout, to end the game.

Cal State LA will return to action in the double elimination tournament on Thursday at 11 a.m. against Cal State Monterey Bay with the winner advancing and the loser being eliminated.