Box Score
LOS ANGELES--- Cal State L.A. used a six-run sixth inning to key the Golden Eagles 10-5 victory over the visiting SF State Gators in the series finale at Reeder Field in Los Angeles.
Grady Espinosa led the Gator hitting attack going 2-for-4, driving in two runs and scoring once.
Cal State L.A. (6-5, 4-0 CCAA) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Cooperstone hit a one-out double to drive in Cody Doyle with the game's first run. Then with two outs, David Trejo hit a double to drive in Cooperstone.
The Gators came back and took the lead with a three-run third inning.
AJ Almaraz was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and went to second on a single by
Danny Souza.
Dillon Meyer reached on a fielder's choice to put him and Souza on first and second with one out. Espinosa hit the second pitch he saw for a two-run double to drive in Souza and Meyer to tie the game at 2-2. He then scored on a two-out RBI single by
Miguel Flores to give the Gators the 3-2 lead.
The Golden Eagles tied the game in the fifth when Casey Ryan hit a one-out double and later scored on a ground by James Wharton.
The hosts then broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning capped by a three-run home run by Wharton to give the Golden Eagles a 9-3 lead. In that inning, Cal State L.A. reached base on just three hits and three Gator errors.
SF State (3-8, 0-4 CCAA) cut into the Golden Eagle lead with a run in the eighth on a
Carter Loud run scoring single that drove in
Dante Smith. Smith reached base on a lead-off walk and went to third on Espinosa's second double.
Cal State L.A. increased the lead to 10-4 in its half of the eighth. The Gators added one more run in the ninth to make the final 10-5 Golden Eagles.
The hosts had 10 hits on the day led by Ryan who went 3-for-5 scoring three times and Wharton drove in four of the Golden Eagles' 10 runs. Sam Elgoual (1-0) picked up the win in relief, pitching 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and one run.
Espinosa had two of the Gators' 9 hits and drove in two of their five runs.
Trae Lopez (0-1) recorded the loss, pitching 5.1 innings, giving up six hits and five runs (three earned) while striking out two and walking two.
The Gators will return to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon for a 2pm non-conference game at the University of San Francisco. They will then return to conference action with a four-game series with Cal St. Monterey Bay beginning with a 2pm starting nine-inning game on Friday, Feb. 22 in Seaside, Calif. The series will move to San Francisco on Saturday, Feb. 23 for a doubleheader at Maloney Field beginning at 11am. The four-game conference series will conclude with a single game a week from today at 11am in Seaside.
Box Score
