LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's baseball team had a tough opener to a three-game series with the University of British Columbia.
The Golden Eagles committed six errors and fell to the Thunderbirds, 8-6, Thursday night at Reeder Field. Cal State LA (1-3) picked up 13 hits, but stranded 11 runners on base. The Golden Eagles led 4-1 after three innings and 5-3 after five innings, but were unable to hold on.
Jordan Peabody went 3-for-5 with one RBI, while
Eli Orona was 2-for-5 with one run scored.
Sean Watkins drove in a pair of runs.
Mitch Robinson went 2-for-6 with four RBI and a home run for the Thunderbirds (4-4). Lucas Soper went 3-for-5 with one run scored.
Joey Deceglie went the first five innings for the Golden Eagles and gave up five hits and three unearned runs. He walked three and struck out four.
Nate Adams allowed two hits and two runs in the next two innings and
George Alamillo allowed three hits and an unearned run in three solid innings.
Kristopher Keach took a tough-luck loss for the Golden Eagles, giving up a pair of runs - one earned - while not allowing a hit over the final two innings.
Niall Windeler went six innings for the Thunderbirds and allowed nine hits and four earned runs. Christian Botnick tossed two scoreless innings and Braeden Allemann gave up three hits and one run over 1 2/3 innings. Pat Van Den Brink blanked the Golden Eagles on just one hit over the final 1 2/3 innings to pick up the win.
Watkins doubled in a pair of runs to highlight a four-run third inning for the Golden Eagles.
Jorge Garcia drove in the third run with a sacrifice fly and Peabody singled in Watkins with the fourth run of the inning.
British Columbia made it 4-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth, but Cal State LA got a run back in the bottom of the inning when
Nate Alam reached on a two-out error, allowing Garcia to score.
Robinson's two-run home run tied it at 5-5 in the fifth and the game remained tied into the 10th. Robinson delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Thunderbirds a 6-5 lead in the top of the inning, but
Noe Garcia singled in
Grant Craddolph to tie it, but
Nic Bereaud was thrown out at home as the potential winning run.
The Thunderbirds took advantage three walks and an error to push across two runs in the 12th to win it.
Cal State LA will return to action on Friday at 6 p.m. with the second of three games against British Columbia.  Â