LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA's baseball team got a gem from Alejandro Huezo and a fifth-inning triple play in an eventful California Collegiate Athletic Association series opener with Chico State.

Huezo limited the Wildcats to just one run over seven strong inning and the Golden Eagles took an early lead and never looked back in a 9-1 win Friday night at Reeder Field. Cal State LA (16-14, 6-7 CCAA) took command early with a five-run second inning rally and backed the outstanding pitching of Huezo with a pair of double plays and a triple play to erase Chico State scoring threats. 

Jonathan Manuel, Steven Mara, Kai Penuelas and Kadyn Victorian had two hits each for the Golden Eagles, who collected 13 hits in the game. Chico State (15-16, 4-9 CCAA) had nine hits, but left 11 runners on base.

Huezo allowed seven hits and one run over seven innings before turning things over to Jake Spence, who tossed two scoreless innings to wrap things up. 

Jack Tews got the start for Chico State and allowed 10 hits and five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Brady Wright and Ryan Melton had two hits each for the Wildcats.

Cal State LA scored all five of its runs in the second after two were out. Manuel singled with one out, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a single up the middle by Mara for the first run of the game. Penuelas made it 2-0 with a run-scoring double and took third on the throw to the plate. Victorian added a single by the middle to drive in Penuelas to make it 3-0. After Cesar Chavez reached on an error and Ben Lee walked to load the bases, Omar Gonzalez delivered a two-run single to make it 5-0.

The Wildcats got a run in the third inning, but the Golden Eagles struck for a pair of runs in the fourth to make it 7-1. Chavez and Lee both picked up singles and Omar Gonzalez walked to load the bases. Manuel drove in one run with a sacrifice fly and Ethan Gonzalez singled up the middle to drive in the second run.

Cal State LA then turned a triple play in the fifth to thwart a potential rally. With runners on first and second, Huezo snared a low line drive off the bat of Brady Wright, quickly fired to Ethan Gonzalez to double the runner off of second and Gonzalez fired to Omar Gonzalez at first for the third out.

For good measure, the Golden Eagles turned a double play in the sixth inning.

The Golden Eagles got another run in the seventh inning when Victorian doubled, took third on an errant pickoff attempt and alertly dashed home to score on a wild pitch that bounced only a few feet away from the catcher. Penuelas doubled in a run in the eighth to complete the scoring.

The Golden Eagles will continue the series with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.