Box Score
Los Angeles, CA -- Cal State Dominguez Hills rallied to score three runs in the top of the 9th inning, but the host Golden Eagles had the final say with the game-winner in the bottom of the 11th to take a 6-5 win over the Toros on a chilly afternoon at Reeder Field. Sean Beckley had two hits and an RBI for CSUDH in the loss.
The Golden Eagles blew a 5-2 ninth-inning lead, but Max Moya doubled to drive in Mario Ramirez with the winning run, dropping the the Toros to 4-3 on the year. The game between California Collegiate Athletic Association teams was a non-conference contest. The Golden Eagles and Toros will meet in a four-game conference series later this season.
The Golden Eagles, behind solid pitching by starter Yuichiro Fujiwara and reliever Camron Collard, took a 5-2 lead into the ninth inning, but couldn't hold it. Toby Davis came in to pitch from second base, but walked all three batters he faced. Devon Ramirez came on and gave up a bloop single to shallow right by Beckley that drove in one run. He then walked Dean Benavidez to force in a second run and make it 5-4 before really buckling down.
After striking out pinch hitter Trey Ursich, Ramirez gave up a grounder to Carlos Leyva that was misplayed at second base for an error that tied the game at 5-5 and left the bases loaded. Ramirez then struck out Luis Perez and John Skala to keep the game deadlocked.
Ramirez retired the Toros without a hit over the final two innings. The Golden Eagles finally struck for the game-winner in the 11th inning off Cal State Dominguez Hills reliever Paul-Michael Klingsberg, who started the game as the Toro designated hitter.
Ramirez drew a walk and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Ramirez. After Travis Tartamella drew a walk, Moya doubled to the right-field fence to end the game.
Both starters – Cal State L.A.'s Fujiwara and Cal State Dominguez' Matt Hopps – pitched well in five-inning stints. Fujiwara gave up six hits and two runs, didn't walk a batter and struck out five. Hopps gave up five hits and three runs, but only one earned. He walked two and struck out five.
The Toros struck first, scoring a pair of runs in the second inning. Jon Alia singled to start the inning and took second on a one-out wild pitch. Ade Olanrewaju then tripled to right-center to drive in Alia and he later scored on a two-out single by Benavidez.
The Golden Eagles were blanked through the first four innings, but struck for three runs in the fifth. Michael Vinyard doubled to left and Chris Matzner was hit by a pitch to start the rally. Chris Lloyd put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over and he reached when it was misplayed to load the bases. Jesus Campos hit a sacrifice fly to score one run and Mario Ramirez followed with a two-run double to give the Golden Eagles a 3-2 lead.
Cal State L.A. bumped its lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Campos walked with one out and Davis walked with two outs. Tartamella drove in one run with a single and Michael Vinyard hit a bases-loaded shot that bounced off third baseman Beckley's chest for an infield hit to drive in the second run.
The score stayed at 5-2 before the Toros rallied for their three ninth-inning runs and ultimately set the stage for Moya's game-winning drive.
CSUDH travels to Biola University on Thursday for a non-conference single game set to begin at 2:00 pm in La Mirada.
(Courtesy CSULA Sports Information)
