Chico, Calif. – Cal State L.A. ace Isaac Morales was too good for too long. The Wildcats were in business once they chased him from the game with one down in the ninth, but their stirring comeback came up just short when Bret Ringer’s line drive was snared by left fielder Chris Lloyd to secure the Golden Eagles’ 6-5 win Friday night at Nettleton Stadium.
Morales, a crafty left-handed senior, befuddled Chico State’s powerful offense for much of the night, allowing only one unearned run on three hits through the first eight innings. He was finally chased from the game when he allowed a one-out walk followed by a single in the ninth. Reliever Camron Collard surrendered Eric Stephens’ three-run homer with two down that drew Chico State to within 6-4.
Jordan Larson then doubled and pinch-hitter Robert Mills looped an RBI-single to make it 6-5. Designated hitter Josh Meagher followed with a double that had the Chico State fans thinking tie game for an instant, but pinch runner Trevor Moore had to stop at third when Lloyd got to the ball quickly down the left-field line.
That brought Ringer to the plate, and this time the Wildcat faithful were thinking win for a moment, but Ringer’s scorched line drive to left was tracked down with a backhanded catch by Lloyd to end the game.
Cal State L.A. improved to 13-7 overall and 6-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with the win. Chico State, also 6-3 in the CCAA, is 10-7 overall. They’re tied for fourth in the CCAA standings with three games yet to play in the series – a doubleheader Saturday at noon and a single game Sunday at noon.
Morales allowed just two singles through his first six innings before Jimmy Dodos’ seventh-inning double plate Kevin Seaver, who had reached on an error to lead off the inning. Morales worked his way out of a danger and then put up another zero in the eighth. His off-speed stuff had Chico State hitters off balance all night and his fastball was effectively wild. He hit three batters. Despite getting into some trouble in the ninth, he allowed just three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out eight and walking four. Morales improved to 3-2 on the season with the win. The two-time All-West Region performer is now 22-6 in his career.
His counterpart, Pete Mickartz, also seemed to be in a good groove before the Golden Eagles batted around in the fifth and plated five runs. Prior to surrendering five runs on four hits in that frame, Mickartz had allowed only one run on four hits. He allowed six earned runs on eight hits in six innings to fall to 1-2 on the season. Mickartz walked two and struck out five.
Max Moya forced in the first run of the inning with a bases-loaded walk. Chris Matzner’s infield single plated another run, and Lloyd, the No. 9 hitter, snuck a two-run single through the right side to drive in two more runs. Matt Miraldi’s single widened the Cal State L.A. lead to 6-0.
Matzner, a .185 hitter entering Friday’s action, went 2-for-3, scored twice, drove in a run, and also reached base by being hit by a pitch. He was the only Golden Eagles player with more than one hit. Brendan McQuaid, the cousin of Chico State’s Larson, went 1-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base.
Bryan Save fired three hitless innings in relief of Mickartz to keep the Wildcats within striking distance.
Meagher finished 2-for-5 and has now hit safely in 15 straight games. Larson’s two-out double in the ninth extended his hitting streak to 17 games.
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