SEASIDE -- Cal State LA's baseball team had a rough opener to its 2026 California Collegiate Athletic Association season at Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Golden Eagles were unable to slow down the Otters, who broke the game open with a 10-run eighth inning and went on to post a 17-4 victory in the CCAA opener for both schools at the Otter Sports Complex. Cal State LA (10-8, 0-1 CCAA) collected nine hits and drew nine walks in the game, but the No. 7 Otters (12-3, 1-0 CCAA) had 15, including four home runs.
Alejandro Huezo started for the Golden Eagles and allowed eight hits and six runs over five innings while taking his first loss of the season.
Luis Fernandez allowed one run over the next two innings, but the Otters struck for 10 runs against three relievers in the eighth to break the game open.
Hayden Hall allowed six hits and one run over four innings for the Otters, while Sonny Pena gave up two hits and three runs over the next 4 1/3 innings to pick up the win.
Cesar Chavez had one hit and drew three walks for the Golden Eagles, while
Ethan Gonzalez and
Kadyn Victorian had two hits each.
Steven Mara had a two-run single for the Golden Eagles.
Bobby Benevidez had a pair of home runs and six RBI for the Otters, while Andrew Lehmann and Casey Hinojosa also hit home runs.
After the Otters took a 2-0 lead on a first-inning home run from Lehmann,
Kai Penuelas hit a sacrifice fly to drive in
Carson Panarisi in the top of the second to make it 2-1. Benevidez hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to make it 4-1 before
Ethan Gonzalez doubled in
Jonathan Manuel to get the Golden Eagles to within 4-2 in the top of the fifth. The Otters, though, responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning and added one more in the sixth to increase the lead to 7-2 before putting the game out of reach with the 10-run eighth inning that included a grand slam home run from Benavidez and a two-run home run from Hinojosa.
Mara singled in a pair of runs in the ninth inning for the Golden Eagles.
Cal State LA will return to action with a doubleheader on Saturday at Cal State Monterey Bay beginning at 11 a.m.
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