CHICO – The Chico State baseball team was the last in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) to get its season started. The wait was well worth it. The Wildcats handed Cal State East Bay a 12-0 loss in the Pioneers’ first ever CCAA game as four pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout.
Kyle Leon hit a three-run homer and Johnny Hay drove in a pair of runs for Chico State, which had its schedule season-opening series rained out last weekend. Starting pitcher Michael Gleason gave up just one hit in six innings of work to collect the win, and Sheldon Lechuga, Scott Nartker, and Scott Newberry fired one hitless inning apiece. The Wildcats’ defense even got in on the act as Jordan Larson and Michael Schultz made spectacular plays in the outfield, third baseman Adrian Bringas showed off a strong arm at third base, and second baseman Jackson Evans and shortstop Michael Murphy teamed up to turn a pair of double plays.
Cal State East Bay, now 2-2, is in its first season of making the jump from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division II. The Pioneers’ Stephen Gatehouse grounded a double down the third base line leading off the fourth inning for his team’s lone hit. Victor Guerrero allowed eight earned runs in six-plus innings of work to take the loss.
Gleason was dominant from the start, striking out the side in the first. He faced the minimum through six innings thanks to a pair of double plays, and did not walk a batter. The senior from Willows has now fired 16 consecutive scoreless innings on just four hits dating back to last year.
Ironically, Kevin Seaver, who set Chico State’s single-season batting average record last season, was the long Wildcats starter who didn’t get a hit. Jackson Evans and Adrian Bringas notched two hits apiece and scored two runs, while Michael Murphy went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and scored twice.
The Wildcats got on the board in the second when Evans doubled to straight-away center field, moved to third on Bringas’ single to center, and scored on Hay’s ground ball.
Chico State took control of the game in the fourth. Bringas doubled home Jackson and Leon lined a three-run homer off the left field foul pole to make it 5-0.
The Wildcats broke the game open with six runs in the seventh as 10 batters came to the plate. Murphy and Adam Arakawa walked following Larson’s one-out single to load the bases, and Larson scored when Seaver was hit by a pitch. Murphy scored on a wild pitch and then Arakawa scored on Hay’s base hit through the left side. Deven Braden’s infield single plated another run, and two more runs scored on an error by Pioneers’ third baseman Nick McManus.
Murphy tripled and scored on Arakawa’s single in the eighth to wrap up the scoring.
The teams will continue their four-game series Saturday with a noon doubleheader and wrap it up with a single game Sunday at noon.
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