COSTA MESA -- Cal State LA's baseball team got its 2025 season off to a promising start with an opening-day win at Vanguard.

The Golden Eagles broke open a tight game with a six-run eighth inning and beat the host Lions, 9-2, Friday at Dean Harvey Field. Cal State LA (1-0) trailed 2-1 through six innings, but scored twice in the seventh and six times in the eighth to earn the win.

Kadyn Victorian went 2-for-3 with three RBI for the Golden Eagles, including a big two-run single in the eighth, while Malik Clayton had two hits and one RBI.

Alejandro Huezo had a strong start in his Golden Eagle debut, allowing six hits and two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Alejandro Morales earned the win with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, while Anthony Diaz worked a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Victorian doubled in Brayan Nunez, who had led off the inning with a double.

Vanguard took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning on a two-run double from Hernandez, but Morales came on to get the final two outs of the inning to keep the Golden Eagles within a run.

The Golden Eagles then took a 3-2 lead in the seventh. Kai Butler was hit by a pitch with one out and Victorian drew a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and scored when Javy Espinoza reached on an error as Butler and Victorian scored.

Gilbert Morales led off the eighth inning by reaching on an error and Ethan Gonzalez walked. The runners advanced on a wild pitch and Cesar Chavez walked to load the bases. Ben Lee singled in one run to make it 4-2 and Victorian delivered a two-run single to make it 6-2. Espinoza, Clayton and Morales followed with two-out, run-scoring singles to increase the lead to 9-2.

Diaz finished things up in the ninth inning and the Golden Eagles earned the win.

Cal State LA will return to action on Saturday with a doubleheader at Vanguard beginning at 11 a.m.