LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's baseball team picked up an important California Collegiate Athletic Association series win on Sunday with a victory over Stanislaus State.
After the dropping the series opener on Friday, the Golden Eagles won the next three games, including a 7-3 victory at Reeder Field. Cal State LA (15-10, 5-3 CCAA) got an outstanding start from
Brandon Gutierrez and 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief from
Isaac Quintero and
Chris Lozano to secure the win.
It certainly wasn't easy as the two teams combined for 18 walks and 20 runners left on base, but it was the Golden Eagles who prevailed.
Gutierrez had his best outing of the season, limiting Stanislaus State (12-13, 3-5 CCAA) to just three hits and one run over six strong innings. He walked four and struck out a season-high eight and left the game with a 5-1 lead.
Things got a little precarious in the seventh as the Warriors received five straight walks to pull to within 5-3. Although Quintero did not get credit for a save, he definitely deserved a big assist after getting a double-play groundout to end the inning.
Cal State LA added two runs in the bottom of the seventh to restore its four-run lead.
Kadyn Victorian hit his second home run of the season,
Jonathan Manuel had three hits and
Ben Lee and
Ethan Gonzalez had two hits each for the Golden Eagles.
Cesar Chavez, who went 8-for-8 on Saturday in the doubleheader, reached base three more times on Sunday and went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.
The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when
Ethan Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch and
Kai Penuelas scored as
Alberto Prado reached base on an error.
Stanislaus State, though, made it 2-1 on a sacrifice fly by AJ Carter in the third.
Victorian's solo home run ignited a three-run rally in the fourth for the Golden Eagles. Prado had a run-scoring single to left and Lee had a run-scoring single up the middle to give the Golden Eagles a 5-1 lead.
Carter and Tyler Crudo drew bases-loaded walks in the seventh for the Warriors, but Quintero shut the door with the inning-ended double play and then tossed a scoreless eighth inning. Lozano worked around a two-out walk in a scoreless ninth inning to end it.
Cal State LA will return to action on Friday with the opener of a four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino.