LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's baseball team enjoyed a dramatic inning in the opener and endured an unfortunate inning in the nightcap of an even doubleheader Saturday at Reeder Field.

A three-run home run by Isaiah Marquez lifted the Golden Eagles to a 5-4 win over Cal Poly Pomona in the opener, while a six-run inning for the Broncos in the fourth inning spelled a 6-1 win for the visitors and a split of the California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader. Cal State LA has now split three doubleheaders over the last eight days after also splitting two doubleheaders at Sonoma State last week.

The Golden Eagles trailed 4-2 in the seventh inning of the opener, but a single by Javy Espinoza, a double by Matthew Piotrowski preceded a three-run home run by Marquez, who blasted his team-leading ninth homer of the season well over the right-centerfield wall. 

The second game of the doubleheader was knotted at 0-0 before a series of unlikely events combined for a six-run inning for the Broncos. The inning started with a seemingly harmless grounder to third, but a close play at first was ruled in favor of the Broncos, much to the dismay of the Golden Eagles. An error followed and, after a wild pitch, Cal Poly Pomona had runners on second and third with no outs. Cal State LA pitcher Owen Hunt, though, got a pop-up and a strikeout and was on the verge of getting out of the inning. Beau Betten, though, was hit by a pitch to load the bases and a passed ball allowed the first run of the game to score. Hunt then induced another seemingly harmless grounder, this one to first, but the ball hit the first base bag and caromed away for a two-run single for Brent Cota to make it 3-0. After Johnny Pappas was hit by a pitch, Jack Sanders completed the uprising with a three-run home run that gave the Broncos a 6-0 lead.

Hunt had an 18-inning scoreless streak snapped, but he has not allowed an earned run in his last 19 innings covering his last three starts. 

Javy Espinoza hit a solo home run for the Golden Eagles in the bottom of the sixth to account for their only run.

Jorge Romero pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the Golden Eagles.

The Golden Eagles managed only four hits off Cal Poly Pomona starter Noel Soto.

In the opener, Eric Navarrete had a strong start, allowing only seven hits and three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. Dorsey Chapman got the final two outs of the seventh inning to keep the score at 4-2 and he picked up his first win with Cal State LA after Marquez smacked his three-run home run. 

Joel Martinez allowed only one hit over two shutout innings to pick up his sixth save of the season.

Rhys Stevens started for Cal Poly Pomona and gave up five hits and one earned run over five innings.

Espinoza went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Elijah Jackson was 2-for-4 with one run scored. Marquez drove in four of the team's five RBI in the game with a sacrifice fly and three-run home run.

The Golden Eagles will return to action on Sunday in the series finale at Reeder Field beginning at noon.