Chico State starting pitcher Rylan Tinsley struck out seven in six innings of work, allowing just a run on four hits, in the Wildcats' 7-1 win against Sonoma State Saturday. Tinsley surrendered a leadoff triple when an outfielder missed a diving catch attempt, and then a sacrifice fly, on the first two pitches of the game. The junior transfer from Sacramento State put up all zeroes after that.
Tinsley was especially stingy with runners in scoring position. The Seawolves were 0-for-6 with four strikeouts in that situation against the southpaw. The score was tied 1-1 in the fifth with the Seawolves loaded the bases with one out before Tinsley struck out the their No. 4 and No. 5 hitters to escape the jam. On the season, with runners in scoring position, Tinsley's opponents are hitting just 3-17 with nine strikeouts and only one run-scoring hit.
The junior from Stockton (Weston Ranch High School) is now 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in his first three starts with the Wildcats, who completed a four-game sweep of Sonoma State and are off to an 11-2 start.
Tinsley and the Wildcats will hit the road this weekend for a four-game series at Cal Poly Pomona. The Broncos were picked as the favorite to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title prior to the season and Chico State was picked to finish second. The series starts with a single game Friday at noon, continues with a doubleheader Saturday at noon, and concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 a.m.
