SAN FRANCISCO – The SF State Gators scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, but their rally fell short as Chris Oropesa induced the last batter to fly out to left field to preserve the 5-4 win for the Cal State L.A. Golden Eagles in the weekend series finale. With the win by Cal State L.A., the two teams split the four-game series.
The first four innings was a pitcher's duel between the Gators'
Preston Tarter and Cal State L.A.'s Icezack Flemming (3-0). Both pitchers gave up no runs through the first four innings.
The Golden Eagles had a chance to take the early lead in their half of the second inning. Jake Jelmini led off the inning being hit by a pitch and went to second on a one-out single by Paul Martinez. Then with two outs, Rodrigo Martinez walked to load the bases. Tarter retired the last batter on a fly out to
Bryce Cherry in right field.
SF State (4-10, 3-5 CCAA) looked like they were going to take the lead in the fourth inning.
Jacob Lopez reached base on an error and went to second on a single by
Mark Lindsay. Then Cherry reached on an interference call with no outs. Flemming induced the next three batters to ground outs to preserve the shutout.
Davied Trejo gave the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead as he scored on a one-out single to left field by Trent Zaks. Trejo led off the inning with a single to left center in the top of the fifth inning.
The Golden Eagles added another run in the sixth on a RBI single by Nick Osuna which brought in Jesus Cuevas after he reached on a lead-off triple to double the visitors score, 2-0.
It looked like the Gators were going to get to Flemming in their frame of the sixth inning. Lindsay had a one-out single up the middle. He went to second on Cherry's single to left field. With two outs,
Garrett Heisinger walked to load the bases, but Flemming induced the next Gator to line out to short.
Cal State L.A. (11-4, 6-2 CCAA) added another run in the seventh to take a 3-0 lead.
SF State had another chance to break into the scoring column in the seventh.
Nick Jackson walked with one out and went to second on a single by
Fernando Escobar. With two outs and runners on first and second, Flemming got the last out on a ground out to second.
The Golden Eagles took a 5-0 lead with two insurance runs in the eighth. Osuna had a lead-off single and then Paul Martinez singled to put runners on first and third with no outs. Martinez advanced to second on a wild pitch and both runners scored on a single by Rodrigo Martinez to left center.
In the Gator ninth,
Matt Vera reached first when he was hit by a pitch with one out. He went to second on an infield single by Jackson (1-for-3 with a run scored). With two outs, Lopez drove in Vera with the Gators' first run of the game. Jackson scored on a Lindsay single to cut the Golden Eagle lead to 5-2 still with two outs.
Will Hein came in to run for Lindsay and then Cherry singled home Lopez to cut the Gator deficit to 5-3.
Danny Souza pinch ran for Cherry,
Ryan Burke drove home Hein to make the score 5-4 Cal State L.A. with runners on first and second with two outs. Oropesa induced the final Gator to fly out to left to preserve the 5-4 Cal State L.A. series finale win.
Flemming picked up the win for the visitors going 7 innings, giving up 7 hits, walking two and striking out four. Three Golden Eagles had two hits apiece in Jelmini, Osuna and Paul Martinez. Rodrigo Martinez drove in two of Cal State L.A.'s five runs.
Lindsay led the Gators' hitting attack going 3-for-5 with a RBI with Cherry and Escobar each with two hits. Tarter (0-2) recorded the loss in the start for SF State, pitching 6 innings, giving up 6 hits and three runs, walking 5 and striking out two.
Joseph Chedid pitched two innings of relief while
Shane Martin pitched a scoreless ninth, giving up one hit and striking out one.
The Gators will return to the diamond this Friday, March 6 at 2pm in Hayward, Calif., as they begin a four-game home and away series with Cal State East Bay. The series will move to SF State's Maloney Field on Saturday, March 7 for an 11am starting doubleheader. The two teams will conclude the series with a single nine-inning game one week from today in Hayward with first pitch scheduled for 11am at Pioneer Field.
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