OAHU, HAWAII -- Cal State LA's baseball team suffered a pair of losses on Saturday against an unbeaten Hawaii Pacific team.
The Golden Eagles fell first in the completion of Thursday's season opener, 5-3, after being unable to rally over the final three frames. The Golden Eagles then dropped the regularly-scheduled game, 15-11. Cal State LA (1-3) erased an early 4-1 deficit with a six-run rally in the fifth inning and had a 9-5 lead after adding a pair of runs in the sixth, but the Sharks (3-0) regained the lead with an eight-run rally in the seventh inning.
Malik Clayton hit a grand slam home run to highlight the six-run fifth inning rally and added a run-scoring double in the ninth inning to finish 2-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBI.
Javy Espinoza was 5-for-6 with a double, triple and three runs scored, while
Matthew Piotrowski went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.
Cesar Chavez drove in a pair of runs, while
Art Ruiz went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Cal State LA collected 16 hits in the game, but issued 13 walks and 13 hits to Hawaii Pacific.
Miles Halligan got the start for the Golden Eagles and allowed four runs over 2 2/3 innings.
Ethan Bautista didn't allow a run over the next 1 1/3 innings,
Moises Escobedo gave up six runs over 2 1/3 innings,
Troy Maki gave up three runs in his outing and
Michael Gill gave up a pair of runs over 1 2/3 innings.
The Golden Eagles took a 7-4 lead after scoring six times in the fifth. Chavez had a two-run double with the bases loaded to make it 4-3 and after Ruiz walked to load the bases again, Clayton hit his first home run of the season to give the Golden Eagles the lead.
After the Sharks got one run back in the bottom of the fifth, Cal State LA added two more in the sixth to take a 9-5 advantage. Espinoza led off with a triple and scored on a single by Piotrowski. Piotrowski then stole second and later came around to score on a wild pitch.
Hawaii Pacific, though, scored once in the bottom of the sixth to make it 9-6 and then took the lead with the eight-run rally in the seventh.
Cal State LA scored a pair of runs in the ninth on a run-scoring double by Clayton that drove in Ruiz and a run-scoring single by
Elijah Jackson that drove in Clayton.
The Golden Eagles started the day by completing Thursday's opening game against Hawaii Pacific, which was postponed by rain after six innings with the Golden Eagles trailing, 5-3.
That's how the game ended as Cal State LA was unable to score over its final three at bats.
Owen Hart got the start for the Golden Eagles and battled back well after allowing a pair of runs in the first inning and three more in the second. He tossed three scoreless innings to complete his five-inning out. He allowed seven hits and five runs while walking three and striking out four.
Brent Jacques pitched three scoreless innings of relief in his first appearance since 2022. He missed all of the 2023 season due to injury. He didn't allow a hit and had one walk and two strikeouts.
Jackson and Espinoza each had two hits and scored a run, while
Art Ruiz went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Kaydn Victorian also had two hits.
After Hawaii Pacific took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run home run by Chase Taylor, the Golden Eagles got a run back in the second when Ruiz singled home Chavez, who had tripled.
Hawaii Pacific tacked on three runs in the second to take a 5-1 lead, but Cal State LA cut into the deficit with two runs in the third.
Matthew Piotrowski drove in one run with a groundout and Ruiz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 5-3.
Both pitching staffs took it from there and didn't allow a run the rest of the way. The game was called after six innings due to rain and picked up on Saturday in the top of the seventh.
Cal State LA will complete its Hawaiian trip on Sunday with games against Hawaii-Hilo and Chaminade.
