LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's baseball team couldn't overcome two big innings from Montana State Billings Tuesday night in a non-conference game at Reeder Field.
The Golden Eagles surrendered five runs in the first inning and five in the ninth in an 11-3 loss to the Yellowjackets. Montana State Billings took advantage of a costly two-out throwing error in the first inning to score four unearned runs and then hit a pair of home runs during a five-run ninth inning to put the game out of reach. Cal State LA (2-2) sliced a 6-0 deficit in half thanks to a three-run double from
Matthew Piotrowski in the seventh inning, but left the bases loaded and didn't threaten again.
The Golden Eagles managed only five hits off Montana State Billings pitchers Daniel Naughton and Cy Miller and left nine runners on base. Naughton blanked the Golden Eagles on just two hits through the first six innings and left the game after Piotrowski's three-run double to left-center in the seventh. Miller came on and, after walking
Drew Emmons and seeing
Wilem Drozdowski reach base on a dropped fly ball to right to load the bases, induced an inning-ending double play to get out the jam.
Owen Hunt started for the Golden Eagles and allowed five hits and six runs, although only two were earned. He was set to get out of the first inning with only one run allowed, but threw wildly to first base on a two-out comebacker that would have ended the frame. Instead of the final out of the inning, one run scored on the play, Brock Molenda followed with a run-scoring single and Payton Flynn delivered a two-run home run to suddenly make it 5-0.
Julian Tellez was a bright spot for the Golden Eagles, tossing five scoreless innings. He allowed only two hits, walked two and struck out two.
Troy Maki pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but ran into trouble in the ninth, giving up two-out home runs to Hayden Foltz and Kaden Kirshenbaum before
Colby Davis got the final out of the inning.
Johnny Pacheco had two of Cal State LA's hits and scored a run, while
Andrew Tovar also had a pair of hits and scored a run.
Cal State LA will conclude the two-game series with Montana State Billings on Wednesday at 6 p.m.,
