ROHNERT PARK -- Cal State LA's baseball team had to settle for mixed results Saturday in a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader at Sonoma State.
The Golden Eagles held on for an 8-6 win in the opener, but couldn't muster any offense to back another outstanding start from
Owen Hunt in a 2-0 defeat in the nightcap. Cal State LA (15-26, 10-21 CCAA) missed out on an opportunity to pick up ground on the sixth-place Seawolves (18-22, 15-16 CCAA).
Hunt continued his stretch of sensational pitching after allowing only six hits and one earned run through six strong innings. He walked only one and struck out six. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in six straight starts and has allowed only two earned runs over 13 innings in his last two starts. Hunt (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season on Saturday.
Cal State LA got two hits from
A.J. Salgado in the nightcap. Will PIcketts and
Drew Emmons had the other Cal State LA hits. All four hits were singles.
Sonoma State's Michael Benz tossed a complete game for the Seawolves to even his record at 4-4. He didn't walk a batter and struck out seven.
The Golden Eagles were shut out for the second time this season.
Picketts was the hitting star for the Golden Eagles in the opener. He went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI, including a go-ahead two-run home run in the fifth inning.
Wilem Drozdowski had a two-run single to extend the lead in the sixth inning.
Dylan Needham picked up the win for the Golden Eagles after allowing only three hits and four runs over 6 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out five while recording his second straight victory. After allowing three first-inning runs, he kept the Seawolves at bay until the seventh. After allowing a walk, single and double to the first three batters in the game, Needham allowed only one hit for the rest of his outing.
Julian Garcia allowed a pair of unearned runs over the next 1 2/3 innings and
Mikell Chavez pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his third save of the season.
Emmons doubled in Picketts to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Seawolves struck back with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
A sacrifice fly by Picketts made it 3-2 in the third and Picketts' two-run home run to left in the fifth gave the Golden Eagles the lead.
Nick Penzetta's infield single drove in
Gerardo Castaneda to make it 5-3 and Drozdowsk's two-run single later in the sixth extended the lead to 7-3. A fielder's choice groundout by Castaneda drove in Picketts to make it 8-3.
Garcia retired the tying run at the plate to end the eighth inning and Chavez got a double play groundout with two runners on base in the ninth to end it.
The four-game series will conclude on Sunday with a single game beginning at 11 a.m.
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