CHICO, Calif. – Offense has grabbed all the headlines for the Chico State baseball team this season. Not this time. Joel Garcia fired a seven-hit shutout in the first game and Ian Waldron allowed just one hit in three-and-two-thirds innings of relief in game two as the Wildcats swept a doubleheader from visiting Cal State Stanislaus by scores of 5-0 and 3-2 Saturday at Nettleton Stadium.
Chico State improved to 32-19 overall and 17-14 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with the wins. The Wildcats remain two games behind Cal State Dominguez Hills in the race for the fourth and final CCAA Championship Tournament berth. They are three-and-a-half games behind Cal State L.A., which finishes its season with four games at Sonoma State. Cal State Stanislaus fell to 29-18 overall and 14-16 in the CCAA. The Warriors would be eliminated from postseason contention with one more loss or one more Cal State Dominguez Hills win.
Garcia, a senior right-hander who improved to 8-2, retired 14 straight at one point. He struck out Jacob Thelen swinging with runners on the corners to end the third and retired the Warriors in order in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth. Jake Oketani doubled off the top of the left-field wall to lead off the ninth, but Garcia got the next three batters for his second complete-game shutout this season.
Waldron came on in relief on Andrew Pluta in the fourth inning of game two with the scored tied 2-2 with one out. He got off to a rocky start, surrendering a hit and a walk to load the bases. It looked as if the Warriors had taken the lead moments later on Chase Perez’s sacrifice fly to center field. The Wildcats appealed to third, however, and even though center fielder Jordan Larson had no chance of throwing Oketani out at the plate, it was ruled he left early and the inning was over.
That was the last chance the Warriors had to make hay against Waldron. The 6-foot-8 righty set them down in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh, striking out four of the final nine batters to earn the win and improve to 4-2 on the season. Pluta went the first three-plus innings, allowing two runs on four hits.
The Wildcats benefited from Cal State Stanislaus defensive lapses to grab an early lead in both games. Alex Zanini Jr.’s throwing error and Ryan Silver’s fielding error opened the door for Chico State to score four runs in the first inning of the opening game. Jimmy Dodos doubled home two runs to start the scoring. Silver’s misplay on Cody Dee’s two-out ground ball made it 3-0. And Bret Ringer singled home the final run of the inning to make it 4-0.
Chico State’s final run came home in the sixth when Dee drilled a leadoff double to right center, moved to third on Ringer’s ground ball to the right side, and scored on Deven Braden’s sacrifice fly.
Larson again set the table in the first inning of game two. This time he drew a walk, moved to second on Kyle Eveland’s ground ball, and scored on Josh Meagher’s base hit up the middle. Meagher advanced to second on the play when Kyle Loretelli’s throw in from center field got away for an error, which proved to be important when Eric Stephens doubled to left-center field, allowing Meagher to score with ease and build the Wildcats’ lead to 2-0.
Cal State Stanislaus cut the lead in half with a run in the second inning when Oketani lined a leadoff double down the left field line and scored on Joseph Pilatti’s base hit up the middle. Jacob Thelen’s home run leading off the fourth tied the game at 2-2, though Waldron’s pitching and Oketani’s baserunning blunder kept the Warriors from doing more damage.
The Wildcats took the lead for good in the fourth. Stephens, who finished the game 3-for-3, singled leading off the inning and moved to second on Adam Arakawa’s sacrifice bunt. Dodos drove him in with a hard ground ball into right field that snuck just inside the first-base bag.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
