WALNUT -- Cal State LA's baseball team made itself right at home Friday in the Golden Eagles' 2022 season opener against Montana State Billings.

The Golden Eagles pushed across six runs in the sixth inning and beat the Yellowjackets, 6-2, Friday at Mt. San Antonio College's Mazmanian Field. Due to ongoing field renovations, Cal State LA (1-0) is hosting Montana State Billings at Mt. SAC.

Christian Casados pitched four innings of shutout baseball to earn the win, which was made possible by the six-run rally in the sixth inning. Drew Emmons had a two-run single to highlight the inning and the Golden Eagles bunched together six hits and also took advantage of a throwing error and a balk. Hayden Luff had two hits in the inning, starting the rally with a leadoff double and driving in the final run of the inning with a single. He also pitched a scoreless seventh inning for good measure.

Luff went 3-for-4 in the game to lead a nine-hit Cal State LA attack. A.J. Salgado and Emmons had two hits each.

Six Cal State LA pitchers combined to limit the Yellowjackets to six hits and a pair of first-inning runs. Cal State LA pitchers walked 10, but struck out 13 and catcher Noe Garcia helped the cause by throwing out a pair of baserunners in the sixth inning.

Montana State Billings starter Dylan Barkley was outstanding over five innings, blanking the Golden Eagles on just two hits and striking out nine. 

Christian Longoria got the opening-day start and pitched the first inning. Mikell Chavez worked around a hit and struck out the side in his one inning of work and Casados followed with four scoreless inning. He allowed only one hit, walked five and struck out six. Julien Garcia worked a scoreless seventh inning, Luff pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Micah Hee was impressive with a 1-2-3 ninth inning that featured a pair of strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth before striking for all six of their runs. Luff started the rally with a double and Will Picketts drew a walk. Salgado drove in Luff with a single to make it 2-1 and the runners advanced on a passed ball. Emmons then hit a two-run base hit deep into the hole at short to give Cal State LA the lead. Noe Garcia singled to right and he and Emmons advanced on a wild throw. Emmons then scored on a balk and Garcia later came around to score on a wild pitch. Michael Rosales was hit by a pitch to keep the inning going, Wilem Drozdowski singled Rosales to third and Luff delivered a run-scoring single to right to complete the rally.

Garcia, Luff and Hee blanked the Yellowjackets over the final three innings to preserve the win.

The two teams will meet in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at Mt. SAC. The games will be live streamed.