COSTA MESA -- Cal State LA's baseball team battled back from an early deficit to earn a doubleheader split on Saturday at Vanguard.
After dropping the opener, 5-4, on a bases-loaded walk in the ninth, the Golden Eagles spotted the Lions a pair of runs in the first before earning a split by scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to pick up a 5-2 win.
Cal State LA (2-1) got bases-loaded walks to Javy Espinosa and
Malik Clayton and a bases-loaded groundout from
Alberto Prado to score three times in the ninth and break a 2-2 tie.
The Golden Eagles got a fourth-inning run-scoring single from
Cesar Chavez and a fifth-inning run-scoring single by Prado to erase a 2-0 deficit. The Lions scored twice in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.
Cal State LA got some outstanding pitching from
Lino Zepeda and
Ismael Quintero to get the win. Zepeda allowed two runs on six hits over five innings with one walk and seven strikeouts, while Quintero tossed four scoreless innings with three hits allowed and four strikeouts. Both pitchers were making their Cal State LA debuts.
Chavez went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI for the Golden Eagles, while
Drew Porter had a pair of hits.Â
In the opener, Cal State LA carried a 4-3 lead into the ninth, but Vanguard (1-2) pushed across a pair of runs on a bases-loaded infield single and a bases-loaded walk with two outs to grab the win.
Cal State LA broke a 1-1 tie in the third on a two-run home run by Prado and took a 4-1 lead in the fifth when Clayton scored on a wild pitch.Â
Vanguard, though, closed to within 4-3 on a fifth-inning two-run home run from Madole and took advantage of two infield singles and three walks to score twice in the ninth without hitting the ball out of the infield.
Moises Escobedo had a solid start for the Golden Eagles, allowing three hits and three runs over five innings while walking three and striking out eight.
AJ Moreno allowed two hits over three shutout innings and
Joel Martinez pitched the ninth.
Clayton had two of Cal State LA's five hits in the opener. Prado, Porter and
Ben Lee had the others.
Cal State LA will return to action next Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Biola.
Â