Los Angeles, CA— Baseball kicked off their three game set with Montclair State University on Friday afternoon. 

AJ Naha got the start for the Tigers on the mound and fired off 3 scoreless innings to start the game. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Oxy got on the board first when Garrett Palme launched a home run over the right field fence to make it 1-0 Oxy. 

MSU would tie the game on a solo home run in the top of the 4th inning. Oxy took the lead right back when Palme doubled with two outs and Ryan Cacatian singled him home to make it 2-1. The Red Hawks would respond with a 3-run 5th, capped off by a 2-run home run.  

MSU tacked on 2 more runs in the 7th, and Oxy responded by scoring a run after Nick Gonzalez doubled and Tyler Kubo moved him to 3rd. After Gonzalez was thrown out at home on a ground ball, Miles Capobianco eventually brought home Kubo with a single to cut into the MSU lead. 

MSU would shut down the Tigers in the 9th and go on to win 7-3 to take game one of the series. For the Tigers, AJ Naha threw 6 innings while giving up 4 runs and striking out 3. Tyler Kubo and Garrett Palme each went 2-4, with Palme scoring 2 runs and driving in 1 with his home run. 

The Tigers will look to even the series at one game apiece tomorrow afternoon at Anderson Field