LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's baseball team engaged in a wild offensive slugfest Sunday at Reeder Field in a game that featured 36 runs, 39 hits and 23 runners left on base.
The Golden Eagles made things interesting by slicing a 14-4 deficit to 14-13, but the Seawolves regrouped and went on to a 21-15 California Collegiate Athletic Association win at Reeder Field. Cal State LA (21-16, 18-14 CCAA) and Sonoma State (22-16, 18-14 CCAA) split the four-game series and are tied for fourth in a tightly-packed conference race.
The top six teams will qualify for the CCAA Championship Tournament.
Sean Watkins had three hits, including a pair of home runs, and drove in five for the Golden Eagles, while
Jorge Garcia was 4-for-6 with two runs and three RBI.
Spencer Sundahl had three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs.
Bryce Nagata had a huge day at the plate for Sonoma State, going 6-of-7 with two home runs, two doubles, four runs scored and seven RBI. Grant St. Martin was 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBI and Joshua Montelongo had three RBI.
It was a rough day for both pitching staffs and only Joshua Medina, the last of four Sonoma State pitchers, didn't allow a run. He got the final five outs of the game while allowing one hit.
Sonoma State scored 14 runs in the first three innings to jump out to a seemingly insurmountable 10-run lead. St. Martin hit a three-run home run as part of a four-run first inning and Nagata hit a grand slam as part of a seven-run third inning.
Cal State LA, though, stunningly got back into the game with five runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth to make it 14-13.
Garcia had a two-run double and Watkins hit a three-run home run in the fourth to make it 14-9 and Watkins hit a solo home run and Sundahl hit a three-run home run in the sixth to make it a one-run game at 14-13.
Sonoma State, though, responded with five runs in the seventh and two more in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Cal State LA will return to action on Friday in the opener of a four-game series against Cal State San Marcos at 6 p.m.
