CHICO, Calif. – Sixteen innings. Zero runs allowed. Two big wins. Jordan Lindebaum and Ian Waldron combined on a five-hit shutout in the opening game, and Joel Garcia spun a complete-game five-hitter in the nightcap as the Chico State baseball team swept Cal State San Bernardino 2-0, 4-0 Saturday at Nettleton Stadium.
Garcia allowed just one extra-base hit and one runner to reach third while striking out three and walking none to improve to 2-0. The shutout was the first of his career. The complete game was the second of his career, both of which have come in his first two home starts of 2009.
Lindebaum, a freshman, collected his first collegiate victory, improving to 1-1 on the season. He allowed five hits, four of them singles, walked four, and struck out two. After working out of trouble in the first three frames, Lindebaum allowed only one hit in his final four innings of work. Waldron came on in the eighth and surrendered only a walk while striking out two to collect his first save of the season.
The back-to-back shutouts were the program’s first since the
Wildcats beat Cal State Stanislaus by the exact same scores, 2-0 and 4-0, on May 7, 2005.
Chico State, ranked No. 19 in the nation and the preseason favorite to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), improved to 7-5 overall and 3-1 in the CCAA with the sweep. Cal State San Bernardino fell to 5-9 overall and 1-3 in the CCAA.
That Lindebaum and Waldron limited the Coyotes to just one hit over the final six innings was important considering the Wildcats nursed a slim lead throughout the game. They took a 1-0 lead in the second when Bret Ringer doubled, advanced to third on Jimmy Dodos’ fly ball to right, and then scored on a passed ball.
Dodos’ solo homer to right field – his second in two days – gave Chico State a 2-0 cushion in the sixth. Cody Dee was the team’s other offensive standout, notching three hits in four at-bats. The catcher also gunned down San Bernardino’s Cody Madison – the game’s potential tying run – attempting to steal second base in the fifth inning.
The Wildcats nursed a 1-0 lead for much of game two as well. Dodos helped get them on the board in the second inning with a one-out walk. He moved to third on Adam Arakawa’s base hit and then scored on a wild pitch.
The Wildcats added three runs in the fifth. Arakawa got things started with a leadoff single to right. He moved to second on Deven Braden’s sacrifice bunt and to third on Jordan Larson’s infield hit. After Larson moved to second on a wild pitch, Kyle Eveland was intentionally walked to load the bases. Dee laid down a sacrifice bunt in front of home plate that Arakawa scored on by a step to make it 2-0, and then Josh Meagher drove in two more runs with a single up the middle.
Larson extended his hitting streak to 12 games with his infield single, while Meagher extended his to 10 games with his two-run single.
The Wildcats will be on the road for a four-game series at Cal Poly Pomona next weekend before returning home for four games against Cal State L.A. March 6-8.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
