SAN BERNARDINO -- Cal State LA's baseball team got the start it wanted Friday night in its California Collegiate Athletic Association opener against Cal State San Bernardino, but not the desired result.
The Golden Eagles scored three runs in their first at bat, but the Coyotes responded with four runs in the bottom of the first and went on to a 7-4 win at Fiscalini Field. Cal State LA (11-12, 6-7 CCAA) was blanked on four hits over the final six innings.
A.J. Salgado went 4-for-5 with two runs to lead a nine-hit Cal State LA attack.
Wilem Drozdowski,
Will Picketts,
Drew Emmons,
Gerardo Castaneda and
Nick Atkins had one each each.
The Golden Eagles, like the Coyotes (15-12, 11-6 CCAA), got outstanding relief pitching.
Christian Longoria allowed just three hits and a pair of runs over 3 2/3 innings while striking out seven and
Hayden Luff tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out three.
Dominic Mota and John Pfeffer combined for six scoreless innings out of the bullpen for Cal State San Bernardino with Mota allowed only three hits over three innings to pick up the win and Pfeffer allowing one hit and striking out five over three innings to earn the save. The Coyotes picked up 10 hits, including home runs from Gerret Macias and Kyle Csakan.
The Golden Eagles struck for three runs in the first. Â
Johnny Pacheco reached second on an outfield error to lead off the game and Drozdowski singled him in to give Cal State LA a quick 1-0 lead. Salgado singled up the middle to move Drozdowski to third and took second on a wild pitch while Drozdowski was thrown out at home trying to score. After Picketts singled, Emmons also singled to drive in Salgado and make it 2-0. Luff's sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
The Coyotes, though, struck right back on a two-run single by Giovanni Del Negro and a two-run double by Macias to take a 4-3 lead. Cal State LA starter
Yuji Sakane was chased in the second inning when the Coyotes made it 5-3 with Longoria getting the final two outs of the inning.
Cal State LA made it 5-4 in the third. Salgado singled, moved to second on an error, took third on a foul out and scored on a groundout by Emmons, but the Coyotes got the run back on a one-out solo home run by Macias and added another run in the sixth on a two-out solo home run from Csakan.
The series will continue on Saturday with a doubleheader at Fiscalini Field beginning at noon.
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