Chico State Athletics

It wasn’t a traditional save situation Chris Rodriguez was summoned into Saturday night. But make no mistake: there was some saving to do. And the senior reliever got it done.

Rodriguez produced three punch-outs in the seventh inning to close the books on the first no-hitter in Chico State baseball history, combining with starting Pitcher Troy Neiman, in a 13-0 win against Academy of Art University at Laney College in Oakland Saturday.

That was the second of two awe-inspiring appearances for this weekend for Rodriguez, earning him Wildcat of the Week honors.

The senior from Fresno (Bakersfield CC) pitched the final two innings of the Wildcats’ season-opening 10-2 win on Friday, striking out four.

Rodriguez struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced in his two appearances, and never let a ball leave the infield.

The Wildcats (4-0) swept the series from Academy of Art and jumped one spot in the national rankings to No. 8 Monday. They open California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play this weekend with a four-game series at Cal State Dominguez Hills beginning Friday.