Chico, Calif. – Saturday was a day of hits and misses for the Chico State baseball team. The end result was a doubleheader split with visiting Cal State L.A.. The Wildcats won the opener 10-3 before losing game two 3-1.
Chico State erupted for 17 hits, including six in a row during an eight-run sixth in which they took a 10-0 lead. But they struck out six times with runners in scoring position in the second game.
Chico State is now 11-8 overall and 7-4 in the CCAA. Cal State L.A., which has now won six of its last seven games at Nettleton Stadium and eight of its last 12 overall against Chico State, is now 14-8 overall and 7-4 in the CCAA.
Sunday’s series finale is set to begin at noon.
Freshman starter Jordan Lindebaum tossed seven shutout innings to earn the win in game one. He allowed only three hits and didn’t walk a batter while striking out a season-high six to improve to 2-1.
Meanwhile, batters one-through-seven in the Chico State lineup had at least two hits apiece. Jordan Larson finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. Eric Stephens was 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. And Deven Braden was 1-for-4 but drove in a pair of runs.
The Wildcats led 2-0 entering the fifth and then broke the game wide open by scoring eight runs on eight hits, including six straight at one point. Adam Arakawa and Josh Meagher laced back-to-back one-out singles and Stephens followed with an RBI-double. Bret Ringer followed with an RBI single, and then Jimmy Dodos and Cody Dee did the same.
Braden’s ground ball two batters later plated another run, and Larson’s two-run double and Meagher’s RBI-double made it an eight-run inning.
The Wildcats looked primed to keep up the momentum in the second game, loading the bases in the second. But Eveland was caught rounding second too aggressively following Braden’s RBI-single and was tagged out just before Kevin Seaver crossed home plate, and the Golden Eagles limited Chico State to only one run.
Cal State L.A. scored twice in the fourth to take the lead on Travis Tartamella’s RBI-single and Eric Quintero’s sacrifice fly. They tacked on an unearned run in the fifth on Brendan McQuaid’s sacrifice fly.
Chico State had a prime opportunity to answer in the bottom half of the inning, but Robert Mills struck out swinging with one out in the inning and runners on the corners, and then Eveland struck out looking with runners on second and third.
Cal State L.A. starting pitcher Yuichiro Fujiwara allowed eight hits in his five-plus innings of work, but he was at his best with his back against the wall, striking out eight. He improved to 3-1 with the win.
Yuichiro struck out Meagher and Ringer with runners on the corners to end the fifth.
Golden Eagles relief pitcher John Dunn came on in the sixth and struck out pinch hitter Eric Stephens with two runners on in the sixth.
And in the seventh, he got Ringer to line into a double play with runners on second and third to end the game.
Meagher doubled in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, but Larson's 18-game hitting streak to start the season came to an end.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
