SAN FRANCISCO -- Cal State LA's baseball team saw San Francisco State walk off with the opener of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series.
The Golden Eagles (18-12, 15-10 CCAA) were unable to hold an early 4-1 lead and the Gators strung together three ninth-inning singles - the final two with two out - to pull out a 6-5 victory Saturday at Maloney Field. San Francisco State (12-19, 11-14 CCAA) had a 17-12 edge in hits in the series opener. The start of the series was delayed until Saturday due to heavy rains in Northern California.
Jorge Garcia had a big day at the plate and led a 12-hit Cal State LA attack. Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run and he drove in three.
Andre Gregory also had three hits and hit a home run, while
Armett Johnson was 2-for-4.
Nate Adams started for the Golden Eagles and allowed nine hits and three runs over five innings.
Gabe Ramos allowed five hits and three runs over the next two innings and
Angel Lerma gave up three hits and one run over 1 2/3 innings.
Cal State LA took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a run-scoring single by Garcia, but the Gators tied it with a run in the second.
The Golden Eagles hit a pair of home runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead. Gregory hit a solo home run to give Cal State LA a 2-1 lead and Garcia followed a triple by
Sean Watkins with a two-run home run to give the Golden Eagles a three-run lead.
San Francisco State, though, scored twice in the fifth to trim the deficit to 4-3. Cal State LA got a run in the sixth on a run-scoring single by
Adam Gordon that scored
Nic Bereaud, but the Gators struck for two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie it at 5-5.
The Gators scored again in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead, only to see the Golden Eagles tie it in the eighth when a double-play grounder by
Anthony Moreno scored
Keyon Allen. Garcia had a double to start the inning and Allen came in as a pinch runner.
The Gators, though, got the two-out rally in the ninth inning to win it.
Cal State LA will return to action on Sunday with a doubleheader set to begin at 11 a.m.
