Patrick Mulry provided the final fireworks of an exciting, well-played collegiate baseball game as Cal State Stanislaus defeated first-place Cal State L.A., 5-3, in 11 innings.
Mulry belted a walk-off, two-run homerun over the 12-foot right field wall as the Warriors open the four-game series with a dramatic victory.
Aaron Godinez again was lights out coming out of the bullpen to shutdown the most prolific offense in the California Collegiate Athletic Association as the Warriors extended their winning streak to five. Further, the Warriors have won eight of their last nine games and are 9-2 in their last 11 games.
Cal State Stanislaus improved to 15-19 overall and 10-14 in conference place while Cal State L.A. missed an opportunity to take sole possession of first place and dropped to 22-11 overall and 17-8 in the CCAA.
The game also featured many great defensive plays — a number of them by Warrior shortstop Nick Ippolito, who set a new Cal State Stanislaus single-game record with 12 defensive assists in the game.
Warrior starter Chris Senn turned in another solid outing going seven strong and allowed three runs on seven hits — matching L.A.'s Greg Humbert as they were locked in a pitching duel.
The Golden Eagles took a 3-1 lead in the fifth on a Jesus Cuevas solo home run to right, but Senn got out of jams in both the sixth and seventh to avoid further damage by L.A.
In fact, Cal State L.A. did not have a hit after a pair of singles in the sixth and stranded runners in scoring position for three consecutive innings.
While Godinez kept the Warriors close by mowing down Golden Eagles, the Warriors got even. In the home half of the eighth, Scott Stetson scored on a RBI single by Stevie Robinson. Robinson eventually went to third as the Warriors worked the bases loaded on a Nick Molina walk.
Then, Cal State L.A. closer Chris Oropesa hit Skippy Ferreria to bring in Robinson for the tying run.
Either team manage to get much more offense until the 11th. Godinez sat the Golden Eagles down in order including two strikeouts to give the Warriors the dramatic finish.
Ferreria started the frame with a bloop single to right and after James Heller's bunt attempt forced out Ferreria at second, Mulry came up to the plate with one out. Mulry, who had entered the game in the ninth as a pinch-runner for Christian Kahler, worked the count to 2-2 after fouling off three pitches took the seventh pitch he saw from Oropesa over the tall wall in right to end the game.
The Warriors were coming off their first ever CCAA road sweep at Cal State San Bernardino.

Stanislaus will host L.A. in a doubleheader today starting at 2 p.m.