TURLOCK -- The Cal State Stanislaus baseball team tried several times Friday afternoon to climb back into the game, but the solid pitching and defense of the Cal State L.A. squad held back the charge to earn an 8-5 win over the Warriors in the first game of a four-game series at Warrior Field.
Golden Eagles starter Isaac Morales struck out six in 5 2/3 innings pitched to earn his third victory of the season. Erick Hong came in for the Golden Eagles in relief and struck out five more batters in 3 1/3 innings of work. Cal State L.A. committed two errors Friday, but neither made as big an impact as the Warriors' two errors.
In the third inning, Cal State L.A. third baseman Tyler Warmerdam hit a laser right back at Warrior starting pitcher
Eric Federico with runners on first and second. Federico turned to second for the force out, but shortstop
Jeff Bellotti muffed the throw, loading the bases and extending the inning. Cal State L.A. would get two runs in the inning.
In the fourth it was the same story, as CSULA left fielder Kenny Shanahan reached on an error by Warrior second baseman
David Contreras after designated hitter Nico Moreno led off with a double. Moreno would score on a balk and Shanahan came home on a double by second baseman Joe Park. Warmerdam closed out the four-run inning with a two-run homerun to deep left-center field to put the Golden Eagles up 6-0.
The Warriors pounded out 10 hits in the loss. Contreras led the charge, going 3 for 4 with two RBIs and falling a double short of hitting for the cycle. The Warriors left the bases loaded in both the sixth and the eighth inning.
The Warriors threatened in the ninth, scoring one run and bringing the tying run to the plate in
Dennis Wolfe, but Wolfe, who struggled on the day going 0-5 with two strikeouts and a walk. Wolfe ran the count to 3-1, but he chopped a groundball to shortstop for the final out of the game.
The loss puts the Warriors at 11-4 overall and 4-1 in the CCAA. Cal State L.A. improves to 8-8 overall and 3-1 in the CCAA. Cal State Stanislaus and Golden Eagles continue the four-game series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 11 a.m. at Warrior Field.
