LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's baseball team found itself battling from behind for nearly all of Saturday's doubleheader and both games ended in frustrating fashion for the Golden Eagles.
The Golden Eagles pulled to within one run with a two-run rally in the eighth inning of the opener and did the same in the nightcap with a three-run rally in the seventh, but first-place San Francisco State held on for 4-3 and 5-4 wins in a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader at Reeder Field. Cal State LA (13-15, 12-12 CCAA) had won nine of its last 10 games entering Saturday's doubleheader, but San Francisco State (16-4-1, 14-4 CCAA) snapped a two-game losing streak with the two narrow victories.
The Golden Eagles were unable to back a strong start from
Saxon Andross in the opener. Andross went seven innings and gave up only two earned runs while walking one and striking out seven.
Angel Lerma allowed two hits and one run over the final two innings.
Cal State LA, though, were handcuffed through seven innings from San Francisco State starter Jack Higgins, who allowed only three hits and an unearned run and left with a 4-1 lead. Cal State LA finally got its offensive untracked against San Francisco State closer Joshua Romero in the eighth inning.
Nic Sandoval singled to open the eighth inning and
Tyler Odekirk followed with another single. The runners moved up on a groundout by
Adam Gordon and Sandoval scored on a sacrifice fly by
Spencer Sundahl to make it 4-2.
Alec Daily followed with another single to score Odekirk and pull the Golden Eagles to within one run, but Romero settled down and got the final four outs for his fifth save of the season.
The second game was much like the first. San Francisco State took a quick 2-0 lead on a first-inning home run from Harley Lopez and, after the Golden Eagles got an unearned run in the fourth on a run-scoring single by
Jordan Peabody, the Gators made it 4-1 on a two-out, two-run double by Shaq Robinson. The Gators added another run in the top of the seventh and then held on against a spirited Cal State LA rally in the bottom of the seventh.
Sandoval started the rally with a leadoff double and took third on a wild pitch. After Odekirk walked, Gordon tripled into the right-field corner to make it 5-3.
Jordan Myrow singled in Gordon with two outs and Peabody walked before San Francisco State reliever Dylan Madole got
Nate Alam on a line drive to center to end it.
Cal State LA outhit the Gators, 10-7, in the second game. Riley Cleary allowed six hits and one unearned run in 4 1/3 innings to get the win, while
Nick Moisant went five innings and gave up five hits and four runs while walking three and striking out two for the Golden Eagles.
Johnny Virgen gave up two hits and one run in two innings.
Myrow and Sandoval had two hits each for the Golden Eagles.
Cal State LA will conclude the series with San Francisco State with a single game on Sunday at 11 a.m.
