HAYWARD -- Cal State LA's baseball team turned in an outstanding performance Friday in an important California Collegiate Athletic Association series-opening win at Cal State East Bay.

Owen Hunt tossed a complete-game four-hitter and Matthew Piotrowski hit a tie-breaking three-run home run in the sixth inning and the Golden Eagles beat the Pioneers, 4-1, at Pioneer Baseball Field. Cal State LA (16-21, 11-17 CCAA) pulled to within two games of sixth-place Cal State East Bay (19-19, 13-15 CCAA) with the victory.

Hunt had his best outing of the season and recorded his first complete game. He allowed only four hits - all singles - and just an unearned run over nine masterful innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out eight. 

Piotrowski went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. He scored the Golden Eagles' first run in the third inning when Michael Rosales drove him in with a double and he connected for his team-leading eighth home run of the season in the sixth inning with Johnny Pacheco and Drew Emmons aboard.

Staked to the three-run lead, Hunt got some help in the bottom of the sixth when Rosales threw out a runner at second base to end the inning, stranding a pair of runners. Hunt then retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings and worked around a one-out single in the ninth for the complete game. 

The nine innings pitched are a career-high for Hunt, who flourished in the seven-inning games a year ago when he compiled a 7-1 record with a 2.57 earned run average and earned All-CCAA and All-West Region honors. He improved to 5-4 this season and lowered his ERA to 4.26.

Piotrowski, meanwhile, has been one of the best hitters in the CCAA this season. He is currently third in home runs (8), fourth in RBI (42), fifth in batting average (.374) and third in slugging percentage (.653) after Friday's heroics.

Cal State LA took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Piotrowski walked, took second on a throwing error and scored on a double by Rosales. Anthony Angel Jr. followed with a two-out single to left, but Rosales was thrown out at home trying to make it 2-0.

The Pioneers took advantage of a pair of errors in the fifth inning to tie it at 1-1, but Hunt got a groundout to end the inning without any further damage.

Pacheco walked and Emmons singled to set the stage for Piotrowski, who clubbed the game-deciding three-run home run to break the 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth.

Cal State LA will return to action with a doubleheader at Cal State East Bay on Saturday beginning at noon.