TURLOCK -- Reserve catcher Chase Perez came into Sunday's game for one inning, which turned out to be all he needed to make an impact.

In his only at-bat of the game, Perez hit a routine fly ball to Cal State L.A. center fielder Chris Lloyd with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Lloyd moved toward the ball and looked to be sending the game into extra innings, but instead, Lloyd slipped in the outfield and fell to the ground, allowing the ball to drop for a single and Jacob Thelen to score the winning run in a thrilling 8-7 comeback victory for the Warriors.

Perez entered the game in the ninth inning to catch for starter Tom Long who struggled at the plate Sunday. The Warriors had chipped away all game long at a 7-0 deficit two innings into the game to tie it at 7-7 heading into the ninth. Perez's final stats for Sunday: one at-bat, one hit, one RBI.

With the win on Sunday the Warriors take the four-game series against Cal State L.A. 3-1. The win is the Warriors' ninth in 10 games and moves their record to 14-4 overall and 7-1 in the CCAA. Cal State L.A. falls to 8-11 overall and 3-4 in the CCAA.

"'Wow' is all I can really say about that game," said Warrior head coach Kenny Leonesio. "Our guys just kept fighting all weekend."

Freshman starting pitcher Anthony Smith was tagged by the Cal State L.A. lineup early and often as he gave up five runs on five hits in just 1 1/3 innings pitched. Darrick Hale sent Smith packing in the second inning with a three-run homerun to right-center field that put the Golden Eagles up 5-0.

Leonesio brought in Matt Costa from the bullpen, and after a shaky start in the second inning where he gave up two more runs to give Cal State L.A. a 7-0 lead, Costa settled down and cruised for 6 2/3 innings, scattering six hits and striking out six while holding the Golden Eagles scoreless the rest of the way.

"The biggest part of that game was Matt Costa eating up those innings," Leonesio said. "For him to come in and do what he did was outstanding."

The Warriors loaded the bases in every inning from the fifth to the ninth. They had the bases loaded with no outs in the fifth, and had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth and the eighth, but the Warriors were never able to capitalize in a big way on their opportunities, instead picking up one and two runs to climb back into the game.

First baseman Adam Fonville came into the game mired in a slump, batting just .180 on the season, but Sunday was his day, as he went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. It was a Fonville sacrifice fly in the eighth inning that scored Jeff Bellotti to tie the game at 7-7.

"(Fonville) had a great day and probably his best at-bat was a sac-fly," said Leonesio.

Josh Lewis picked up his third win of the season in relief to move his record to 3-0 after entering in the ninth inning to strike out Nico Moreno and send the Warriors to victory.

The Warriors picked up 12 more walks and a hit batsmen on Sunday to bring the grand total of free passes for the weekend to 40. Cal State L.A. relief pitcher Jonathan Hyde (0-1) took the loss after being replaced by Erick Hong because he walked Thelen to start the inning.

The Warriors continue their homestand on Friday when Chico State visits Warrior Field for a four-game series. Friday's game starts at 2 p.m. Saturday will be a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m., followed by the series finale on Sunday starting at noon.