Chico State senior starter Marcos Lara helped lead Chico State to a 4-1 win in Saturday's second game against Fresno Pacific and earned Wildcat of the Week honors in the process. The Division I transfer went five innings, allowing just one run on six hits in his Wildcats debut. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter in improving to 1-0.
A Second Team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection at Texas Southern University, Lara went 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA last season. The two-time All-Conference performer at Compton Community College allowed only 46 hits and 12 walks while striking out 41 in 49.2 innings of work.
It was more of the same in his Chico State debut.
The 6-foot-1 righthander allowed a bunt single in the first and then three singles and a run in the second before settling in nicely. He retired the side in order in the third, got a double-play grounder and strikeout in the fourth, and then struck out two more in his final inning.
The Wildcats actually trailed 1-0 when he left the game but rallied for three runs in the bottom-half of the fifth and held on to make a winner out of Lara.
Chico State, which opened the season ranked No. 12 in the nation, takes a 1-1 record into a four-game series against Azusa Pacific this Thursday through Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and Saturday's doubleheader will get underway at 11 a.m.
