SAN FRANCISCO – Mario Ramirez singled in Joe Park with the go-ahead run in the top of seventh inning to lift visiting Cal State L.A. to a 6-5 victory over San Francisco State in a CCAA baseball game Saturday afternoon at Maloney Field.
The Gators were outhit 13-8 and were unable to overcome three fielding errors, falling to 7-10 on the season and 2-5 in league play, while the Golden Eagles move to an identical 7-10 mark overall and 5-6 in conference play.
After CSULA plated an unearned run in the second, SF State collected three markers in the bottom of the third to build a 3-1 cushion. With the bases loaded,
Nick Nyman's (Susanville, Calif., Lassen College)sacrifice fly brought in pinch-runner
Kyle Amick (Manteca, Calif., Sierra), while
Drew Andersen (Gilroy, Calif., William Penn Univ.) roped a single to left field, driving in
Geoff Downing (Half Moon Bay, Calif., New Mexico State Univ.) and
Ben Mielke (Arcata, Calif., Shasta College).
The lead proved to be short-lived, however, as the Eagles took advantage of two miscues in the top of the fourth to go back in front 4-3. Ramirez reached on an error to begin the frame and promptly advanced to third on Sam Wiley's double down the left field line. Moments later, Ramirez touched the plate on Matt Miraldi's single, while a bobbled ball on the play allowed Wiley to score from second. Miraldi, who wound up on second, stole third and later scored on Max Moya's groundout.
CSULA stretched the margin to 5-3 in the fifth after Cliff Quick, who led with a double and advanced to third on Park's bunt single, came home on a double-play grounder.
SF State rallied to tie the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth as
Greg Kline (Las Vegas, Nev., San Joaquin Delta College) and Downing hit back-to-back doubles with two outs, while Mielke soon followed with an RBI single up the middle.
CSULA managed to push across the lead run in the seven as Ramirez hit a bouncer past the outstretched glove of Downing at short, scoring Park, who earlier hit a two-out single to left and promptly stole second.
The Gators put the tying run aboard in both the seventh and eighth innings, but were unable to get the equalizer.
Despite giving up two runs in 3 1/3 innings, Matt Stropoli (3-0) picked up the victory in relief of starter Camron Collard, who lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks.
Meanwhile,
Ryan DeJesus (Westlake Village, Calif., Westlake HS) (1-1) took the loss, yielding three earned runs on 11 hits and no walks over 6 2/3 innings, before giving way to Nic Banaugh.
Mielke went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Andersen and Downing finished with two RBI and two runs scored, respectively. Conversely, Wiley finished the day 4-for-5 with two runs scored to pace the Eagles.
SF State concludes its series against CSULA on Sunday with a single game at Maloney Field starting at 11 a.m.
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