Riverside, Calif. - The Golden Eagle baseball team returned home this weekend, playing host to the University of Antelope Valley, for a 3-game series against their Cal Pac opponent. La Sierra took Friday's single game, before dropping Sunday's doubleheader to the Pioneers. The Golden Eagles are now 5-13 on the season, including a 1-8 record in Cal Pac play.
Game 1: La Sierra def. UAV, 3-2
The Golden Eagles scored a late run, breaking a 2-2 tie, to hand the Pioneers their first Cal Pac loss of the season. The Pioneers scored a run in the top of the 2ndinning, but that lead was short-lived, as the Golden Eagles answered with two runs in the bottom of the 3rdinning, to take a 2-1 lead. That lead held up until the 5thinning, when the Pioneers pushed another run across the plate, to tie the game at 2-2. But the Golden Eagles were not to be denied as they regained the lead with a run in the 8thinning to secure the victory, overcoming a rough defensive performance that resulted in four total errors.
All nine Golden Eagles hits came from four different players, with Nick Salinas leading the way, going 3-for-4 in the win. Andrew Lundstrom was 2-for-2, while Kash Mattson and Justin Wear finished the day going 2-for-4.
La Sierra's pitching held the Pioneers to their two runs (one earned), on just three hits. Justin Wren got the start, and took a no-decision, after going 6 1/3 innings and giving up two runs on two hits. Mark Bontempo picked up the win, pitching 2 2/3 innings in relief, surrendering just one hit and one base-on-balls.
Game 2: UAV def. La Sierra, 11-2
The Pioneers answered back quickly in Sunday's doubleheader by scoring five runs in the first two innings of play, taking full control of the game. After the Golden Eagles cut the lead to 5-2, the Pioneers broke the game open with a 5-run 7thinning.
The Pioneers scored their 11 runs on a total of 10 hits, while the Golden Eagles tallied two runs on six hits. La Sierra spread the offense around, with six different players collecting one hit in the game.
Game 3: UAV def. La Sierra, 15-3
UAV carried their momentum into the second game of Sunday's doubleheader as they jumped all over the Golden Eagles with eight runs over the first three innings of play. After La Sierra scored two runs in the bottom of the 4thinning, the Pioneers answered back with three runs of their own in the 5thinning and added another three insurance runs in their half of the 9thinning.
Mattson (3-for-4) and Alex Ogletree (2-for-4) led the way offensively for the Golden Eagles, but they were unable to keep pace with the Pioneers who outhit La Sierra by a margin of 19-9. Mattson drove in two the team's three runs, with Lundstrom adding an RBI single of his own.
The team will now shift their complete focus toward final exams which take place this week. The team is scheduled to return to action on Thursday and Friday when they travel to Providence Christian College for another conference 3-game series. The team will return home next week when they host Simpson University for six games over a 6-day span, starting on Tuesday, March 26.
