SAN MARCOS -- Cal State LA's baseball team rallied impressively from a rough start on Sunday, only to fall in frustrating fashion in the finale of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series at Cal State San Marcos.

The Golden Eagles roared back from a 6-0 deficit to tie the game at 7-7, but the Cougars pushed across a run in the eighth inning to take the game, 8-7, and the series. After winning the series opener on Friday, Cal State LA (7-7, 1-3 CCAA) dropped the final three games, including the final two by one run.

Matthew Piotrowski had two more hits, giving him nine in the four-game series and stretching his hitting streak to nine games. He has hit safely in 12 of Cal State LA's 14 games and already has 10 multi-hit games this season.

Elijah Jackson had a pair of hits as well, including his second home run of the season. Ethan Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with one run scored and two RBI.

Joel Martinez gave the Golden Eagles a chance to rally by tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. He allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out four. Brent Jacques allowed four hits and two runs over 2 2/3 innings of relief. 

The Golden Eagles gave up five runs in the first inning and trailed, 6-0, after two before beginning their comeback. The Golden Eagles got two runs back in the third inning with a sacrifice fly from Javy Espinoza and a run-scoring single by Piotrowski and then made it 6-4 with two more runs in the fourth. Isaiah Marquez scored on a wild pitch and Gonzalez delivered a sacrifice fly.

After the Cougars got a run in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 7-4, the Golden Eagles scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to tie it. Jackson hit a solo home run in the fifth, Gonzalez singled in a run in the sixth and Art Ruiz drove in Espinoza with a fielder's choice to even things at 7-7.

Cal State San Marcos, though, scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth with a fielder's choice and Cal State LA was unable to rally one more time in the ninth.

Cal State LA will have a bye next week before returning to action on Friday, March 8, at 6 p.m. with the opener of a four-game series at Reeder Field against Cal State Dominguez Hills.