CHICO – Adam Arakawa gets an A for his effort in Chico State’s 13-10, 4-3 doubleheader sweep of Cal Poly Pomona Saturday at Nettleton Stadium, even he doesn’t need it. He’s already got six of them in his name. Chico State’s senior right fielder went 6-for-7 with a home run and four doubles, four RBI, and five runs scored. He drove in three of Chico State’s run in the nightcap, the last with a game-tying RBI-double in the sixth, and then scored the game-winning run on Jackson Evan’s base hit to right.
We’ll give Johnny Hay, Michael Murphy and Evans A’s as well. Hay kept his torrid run production rate going with a grand slam in Chico State’s seven-run seventh in the opener. Murphy also had a big day at the plate, going 4-for-7 with a home run, double, four RBI, and five runs scored. Evans finished the opening game with an RBI-single, a stolen base, and a run scored before delivering the game-winning hit in the nightcap.
The Wildcats have now won seven straight overall and all 11 of their games at Nettleton Stadium to move into a share of first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with UC San Diego at 9-2. Ranked No. 14 in the nation and No. 3 in the West Region entering the weekend, they’re now 13-2 overall.
Scott Nartker tossed four scoreless innings to pick up the win in the opener.
Cal Poly Pomona, which entered the weekend ranked No. 4 in the West, fell to 11-9 overall and 5-6 with the loss.
Chico State came from behind to win both games, something it’s now done eight times this season. The Wildcats trailed 7-1 in the opener before scoring two in the third, two in the fifth and seven in the sixth to take the lead for good. RBI-grounders off the bats of Murphy and Seaver and a pair of Pomona errors allowed Chico State to take an 8-7 lead, and then Hay hit his sixth home run in six days to break it open.
Murphy went 3-for-4 with a homer, double, four RBI, and three runs scored. Arakawa was 4-for-4 with three doubles, three runs, and an RBI. Seaver drove in three runs to run his streak of games with at least one RBI to nine. And Ben Manlove went 3-for-5.
The Wildcats looked bound for defeat in the nightcap. Having scored 105 runs in the previous seven games, they seemed to have finally met their match in Broncos starter Geoff Broussard. He had allowed just two hits, one an infield single, through the first three innings. But he plunked Murphy with a pitch leading off the fourth and Arakawa quickly put the Wildcats ahead 2-1 with his blast over the centerfield wall – his third home run of the season and the 10th of his career.
Broussard was not shaken, however, and settled back in to retire the next seven hitters he faced while the Broncos’ Travis Taijeron and Jenzen Torres hit back-to-back homers to give him a 3-2 lead to work with. But with one out in the bottom of the sixth (of the seven-inning game), Murphy strolled back to the plate and Arakawa back to the on-deck circle. And that pair went to work to get the lead back in Chico State’s hands.
Murphy drew a five-pitch walk to set the stage for Arakawa, who smashed a rocket off the wall in center field to tie the game. Evans then laced a single through the right side to give the Wildcats the lead for good.
Cory Krisman collected the save in the nightcap.
The work of Chico State’s pitching staff in the nightcap should not go unnoticed. Scott Greene made his first start of the season and allowed just one run on six hits in four-and-two-thirds innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. Ian Waldron (2-0) would collect the win with a scoreless inning of relief. And Cory Krisman came in with two runners on and two out in the seventh to get the final out on a weak ground ball for his first Chico State save.
Scott Nartker collected his first win of the season in the opener with four innings of scoreless relief. Casey Edelbrock used a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his third save of the season.
The teams will wrap up the series with a single game Sunday at noon.
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