CERRITOS — The La Mirada baseball team was two outs away from dropping the first two games of a key three-game series between the top two teams in the Gateway League.

The Matadores’ bats were mostly silent through six innings Wednesday, including Gahr relief pitcher Matt Sandoval’s efficient first inning of work in six pitches.

But the Gladiators’ defense, which showed earlier moments of shakiness, created another window of opportunity for the Matadores.

An error ignited a four-run seventh inning and La Mirada relied on fundamental small ball for a 6-3 victory at Gahr.

The teams will meet again today at La Mirada in the rubber match.

Matadores coach Jimmy Zurn credited his team’s resolve after dropping a wild 10-2 decision in extra innings Tuesday in the first game of the series and overcoming a three-run deficit through one inning Wednesday.

“Our bats came alive late and we executed late,” Zurn said. “The difference today was we had big moments when it mattered.”

Trailing 3-2 with one out in the seventh, La Mirada (17-5, 9-1) was gifted a runner after Jesse Colon reached base via error on the left side of the Gahr infield.

Gladiators coach Gerardo Perez noted the irony after shortstop Oscar Grijalva made a slick diving play to produce the first out of the inning.

“You take the good with the bad,” Perez said.

Gahr (10-8, 4-1), which yielded just four hits to that point, then unraveled after La Mirada produced five singles and had a batter intentionally walked. The rally included a pair of well-executed, run-scoring suicide squeeze bunts.

Matadores first baseman Jason Rodriguez tied the game 3-3 on a liner into center field over Grijalva’s leaping attempt. Pinch-runner Travis Friend scored from second on the hit despite stumbling while rounding third, recovering in time to slide into home ahead of the throw.

“(Sandoval) hung a slider and I didn’t miss it,” Rodriguez said. “I felt like I knew they were going to pitch me backward after my last at-bat ... so I was kind of expecting it. When I saw it, I just jumped on it.”

Rodriguez finished with two RBIs on a pair of singles and scored twice.

Right fielder Kevin Jeon was then promptly walked intentionally to load the bases, setting the stage for pinch-hitter Aaron Skyes.

Earlier in the at-bat, Skyes fouled off a pitch on a safety squeeze attempt. Regardless, Zurn got more aggressive and sent Maverek Russell, who was at third base, on the pitch home. Sykes didn’t miss his second chance and gave La Mirada its first lead.

“It’s what we work on in practice and that’s just the situational hitting that we need to win ballgames like this,” Skyes said.

The Matadores then tacked on an RBI single from Ian Nunez and a second RBI suicide squeeze from Jaeden Estevez, who never drew a throw running to first because the base was left uncovered.

Zurn said the message to his players since the start of the season was: “We’re not just going to be able out-hit everybody.”

“We are going to be in games where we’re going to have to execute small ball and execute situational hitting,” he continued. “Obviously, we executed today and that’s why we’re on the right side.”

Perez, meanwhile, said it was the opposite for his team after making three errors past the third inning and not fielding the bunts properly.

“They bunted a couple of times and we couldn’t get an out,” Perez said. “We didn’t have people covering and we made some mistakes, made some errors. Late in a game, any time you give guys an opportunity — four, five, six extra outs — it’s gonna be tough.”

La Mirada starting pitcher Luke Armijo shook off the rocky opening inning and battled through five innings. Reliever Connor Jones, who was credited with the win, struck out three over the final two perfect innings.

Gahr starter Juan Carlos Munoz left with the lead after five innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, struck out three and walked one.

“He’s done that all year,” Perez said. “He keeps his composure, he throws strikes, doesn’t walk a whole lot of people. But he’s only a sophomore, so two years later he probably finishes that game.”

The Gladiators were unable to tack onto the early advantage that included a pair of doubles, a single, a hit batter, a passed ball, a wild pitch and a safety squeeze of their own in a taxing first frame for Armijo.

Gahr sent seven batters to the plate and catcher Nate Guangorena’s RBI single capped the quick start.