POMONA, Calif. – Not yet playing the quality of baseball they expect to this season, the Chico State baseball team is still managing to get the results they expect. With a hard-fought 6-5 victory at Cal Poly Pomona Sunday the Wildcats took three out of four from the Broncos and now sit just one game out of first place at 10-6 overall and 6-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).

They are simply finding ways to win. Ian Waldron and Andrew Pluta found a way on the pitching mound. Waldron was thrust into a starting role when Mike Robbins was unable to go and earned his first win as a Wildcat, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits in five-and-a-third innings.

Pluta earned his first save as a Wildcat with three-and-two-thirds innings of relief. He entered the game with Chico State leading 5-3 with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth and did not allow a run. After allowing two runs in the eighth (one earned) that trimmed the lead to 6-5, he faced a bases-loaded situation with one out in the ninth before escaping to secure the win.

Offensively, Bret Ringer and Eric Stephens found a way. The way was over the wall. They each hit solo home runs to spark the Wildcats offense. Kyle Eveland's way was to drive in a run on a ground ball, steal a bag, and score twice. Jordan Larson, Josh Meagher, and Stephens banged out two hits apiece, and true freshman Bryan Willson went 1-for-3 with two runs and was hit by a pitch in his first collegiate start.

Larson has now hit safely in all 16 games this season and Meagher has a 14-game hitting streak.

The Wildcats are tied for second in the CCAA standings with Cal State Dominguez Hills, one game behind UC San Diego (7-1). They host fifth place Cal State L.A. (12-7 overall and 5-3 in the CCAA) for a four-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

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