SAN MARCOS -- Cal State LA's baseball team tried to climb out of a big early deficit, but came up short Friday in a California Collegiate Athletic Association series opener at Cal State San Marcos.

The Golden Eagles rallied from a 7-1 deficit and pulled to within 7-6 and 10-8, but the Cougars were able to hang on to a 12-8 victory at Dennis A. Pugh Field. Cal State LA (15-14, 15-14 CCAA) slipped behind third-place Cal State San Marcos (27-13, 14-11 CCAA) in the conference race.

The game was featured as the CCAA Game of the Week.

Steven Mara hit a two-run home run for the Golden Eagles, while Kadyn Victorian and Ben Lee also drove in a pair of runs. Omar Gonzalez, Alberto Prado and Jonathan Manuel had two hits each for Cal State LA.

Cal State San Marcos got a big games from Zech Samayoa, who was 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI and Stephen Espinoza, who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and five RBI. Both Cougars hit home runs in the game.

Alejandro Huezo allowed only two runs through the first four innings, but was charged with five runs in the fifth inning. He wound up giving up eight hits and seven runs over five innings with five walks and four strikeouts. Jake Spence worked the final three innings and gave up five hits and five runs.

Omar Gonzalez singled in a run to tie the game at 1-1 in the third inning, but Espinoza's bunt single drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning and the Cougars kept the lead after that.

After the Cougars scored five times in the fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead, the Golden Eagles scored five times in the sixth to pull to within one run. Adam Axtell reached on a fielder's choice to make it 7-2 and Victorian followed with a two-run single. Ben Lee then delivered a two-run double to make it 7-6.

Espinoza, though, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to make it 10-6.

Mara hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the seventh to make it 10-8, but the Cougars scored twice in the bottom of the inning and held on for the win.

The series will continue with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.