CARSON, Calif. – The Chico State baseball team, down but certainly not out, put a big-time scare into Cal State Dominguez Hills, nearly erasing an eight-run deficit in the last inning of Saturday’s doubleheader finale, but the Toros held on and escaped with a 10-8 victory to take both ends of the twinbill with the Wildcats. Earlier in the day, Dominguez blanked the ’Cats 8-0.
It was all Toros in the opener of the double dip, as Dominguez Hills racked up 14 hits off Wildcats starter Jordan Lindebaum and relievers Michael Gleason and Ivan Gonzalez. The Toros took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Carlos Leyva scored on a Kevin Pillar sacrifice fly…then in the third a two-run single by Luis Perez put Dominguez Hills up 3-0. Lindebaum pitched out of several early jams and kept the game close until the sixth, when Brian Sturgis belted a homer with two aboard to extend the Toros’ lead to 6-0. Chico State, meanwhile, could get nothing going offensively against Dominguez Hills starter Matt Hopps, who gave up singles to Jordan Larson and Kyle Eveland and allowed just one baserunner to reach third in his six innings of work. In the bottom of the seventh the Toros effectively put the game away, as Gleason surrendered RBI singles to Pillar and Jon Alia to make it an 8-0 contest…the Wildcats could only manage an infield single by Bret Ringer against reliever Matt Phillips over the final two frames, and Dominguez Hills nailed down the 8-0 victory, handing Chico State its first shutout loss of the season. Hopps (3-1) got credit for the win, with Lindebaum (2-2) taking the defeat.
In the seven inning nightcap, Chico State jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Kevin Seaver’s first inning single plated Jordan Larson. Dominguez Hills went up 2-1 in the second on an RBI double by Derrek Duarte and a Dean Benavidez sacrifice fly. Paul Klingsberg doubled off Wildcats starter Joel Garcia in the third inning to drive home a pair of runs and give the Toros a 4-1 lead…then in the fourth Dominguez Hills picked up an unearned run when Benavidez reached on an error and scored on a double by Candelario Flores. Chico State had a chance to climb back into the contest when Toros starter Phillip Van Doren had control issues in the fifth inning, hitting three batters and walking Ringer with the bases loaded to force home Larson to make it a 5-2 ballgame…but with the bases still loaded, relief pitcher Michael Cruz came on for Dominguez Hills to get Adam Arakawa to line out to end the threat. The Toros seemingly put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth – courtesy of solo homers by Klingsberg and Jon Alia – to go up 10-2. Down to their last three outs, the Chico State offense suddenly came alive, and in a big way – a two-run homer by Josh Meagher and a three-run blast by Arakawa made the score 10-7. Jimmy Dodos would later score when Benavidez booted Larson’s double play grounder to bring the ’Cats to within two. But with the bases loaded and one away, Meagher’s grounder to the right side hit the back baserunner Eveland on the foot for the second out, and with the potential tying run in scoring position Toros reliever Kody Kurowski struck out Seaver to end the Wildcats miraculous comeback bid and give Dominguez Hills the 10-8 victory and the doubleheader sweep. Van Doren (1-3) got credit for the win with Kurowski chalking up his first save of the season; Garcia (4-2) went just three-and-a-third innings to take the loss.
Chico State slipped to 15-12 on the season and 11-8 in the CCAA with Saturday’s losses, while Cal State Dominguez Hills improved to 15-13 overall and 10-9 in conference play.
The Wildcats and Toros wrap up the weekend series with a single game Sunday beginning at noon. Hear all the action live with Mitch Cox calling the play-by-play on ESPN 101.7 FM locally or on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
