SAN BERNARDINO -- Cal State LA's baseball team came up empty Sunday in the finale of a frustrating four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series against Cal State San Bernardino.

The Golden Eagles broke a 3-3 tie with an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning, but the Coyotes responded with a grand slam in the bottom of the inning and went on to an 8-4 victory at Fiscalini Field. Cal State LA (11-15, 6-10 CCAA) had split its first six series of the season, but suffered a sweep at the hands of Cal State San Bernardino (18-12, 14-6 CCAA) after another tough defeat.

Cal State LA took a quick 2-0 lead in the first and led 3-1 after two innings, but was held hitless over the final six innings while Cal State San Bernardino mounted its comeback.

Dylan Needham got the start and had an eventful five innings for the Golden Eagles. He allowed three hits and three runs while walking five and hitting four. He allowed solo runs in the first, third and fifth innings and his ability to get out of jams kept Cal State LA in the game. 

The Golden Eagles walked nine and hit five in the game.

Cal State LA jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Johnny Pacheco, Wilem Drozdowski and A.J. Salgado led off the game with singles and Gerardo Castaneda delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single for the lead.

After Jake Borst hit a solo home run for the Coyotes in the bottom of the inning, the Golden Eagles regained a two-run lead in the top of the second. Thomas Chavez walked and came around to score on a single by Nick Atkins.

The Coyotes made it 3-2 in the third on a run-scoring double by Giovanni Del Negro and tied it in the fifth, although Needham did a commendable job avoiding a bigger inning. After two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with no one out, he got a double-play grounder that scored a run and got out of the inning with another groundout.

The next time the Coyotes loaded the bases, though, the Golden Eagles couldn't get out of it. Nick Penzetta was hit by a pitch and scored the go-ahead run on an error in the top of the seventh, but two walks and a one-out hit batter loaded the bases for the Coyotes in the bottom of the inning and Riley Parker smacked a grand slam home run to give the Coyotes the lead for good.

Cal State LA will return to action next Friday in the opener of a four-game series against first-place Chico State at Reeder Field.




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