LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's baseball team was unable to earn a series split against first-place Chico State after a rough game at Reeder Field on Sunday.
The Golden Eagles fell behind early and never recovered in a 14-2 loss to the Wildcats in the finale of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series. Cal State LA (12-18, 7-13 CCAA) and Chico State (25-7, 18-5 CCAA) engaged in three exciting one-run games entering the series finale, but that was not the case on Sunday.
Chico State scored in its first five at bats and broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning that made it 11-2. Grady Morgan had the big blow in the inning, a three-run home run.
Cal State LA committed four errors and walked seven, which definitely isn't a winning formula, especially against a potent lineup like Chico State fields. Six of the seven batters walked came around to score for the Wildcats, who also had 15 hits, including a home run and five doubles.
The Golden Eagles had eight hits in the game, including two each from
Johnny Pacheco,
A.J. Salgado and
Drew Emmons.
Chico State scored one run in the first, one in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead before Cal State LA broke through for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Salgado started the rally with a single and promptly stole second.
Will Picketts singled Salgado to third and Emmons drove him in with a run-scoring single to right.
Gerardo Castaneda moved the runners to second and third with a beautiful sacrifice bunt and the move paid off when
Hayden Luff's sacrifice fly drove in Picketts to make it 6-2.
The Wildcats broke the game open in the fifth. There was a costly error in the inning that was followed up by a run-scoring single by Willie LaJoie and Murphy's three-run home run.
LaJoie was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI, while Morgan was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.Â
Cal State LA will return to action on Friday with the opener of a four-game series at second-place Cal State Monterey Bay.
