SAN BERNARDINO – Michael Murphy scored the game-winning run on a passed ball in the top of the 10th inning and Hunter Buckmore followed with a two-run single to lift the Chico State baseball team to an 8-5 win at Cal State San Bernardino’s Fiscalini Field Friday. The win, which opened a four-game series between the West Region’s No. 2 (Cal State San Bernardino) and No. 3 (Chico State) teams, also broke a second-place tie between them in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings.
Chico State improved to 14-3 overall and 10-3 in the CCAA, while Cal State San Bernardino dipped to 12-6 overall and 12-5 in the CCAA. Chico State is ranked No. 10 in the nation according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, while the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association ranks Cal State San Bernardino No. 12. The Wildcats remain a game behind UC San Diego, a 10-2 winner over Sonoma State Friday.
Deven Braden and Kevin Seaver bashed two-run homers for the Wildcats and Adrian Bringas added an RBI-single. Ian Waldron picked up the win in relief to improve to 3-0, while Casey Edelbrock got a game-ending double play for his fourth save of the season.
Cal State San Bernardino grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening frame, but Chico State took the lead in the second. Evans’ one-out double preceded Bringas’ RBI-single and Braden’s two-run blast, his sixth of the season, which put the Wildcats ahead 3-1.
Seaver’s two-run opposite field shot in the third gave the Wildcats a 5-1 lead. Jordan Larson led off the inning with a single. But they would not score over the next six innings, matching their longest scoring drought of the season.
Sheldon Lechuga tossed an inning and two thirds of scoreless relief and Waldron, who pitched to just one batter to earn the victory, closed the door on the Coyotes in the ninth. He got an inning-ending fly-ball out with the potential tying run on second base to give Chico State’s offense another chance to break through.
It did. Murphy led off the 10th with a base hit and moved to second when Adam Arakawa slapped a single through the left side. Both runners advanced on Seaver’s sacrifice bunt and Jackson Evans was intentionally walked to load the bases.
It seemed Chico State had the right guy strolling to the plate in the form of designated hitter Johnny Hay, who entered play 4-for-4 with the bases loaded and Chico State’s home run and RBI leader this season. But Coyotes closer struck Andrew Schile struck him out for the second out of the frame. Schile attempted the same pitch to Buckmore on a 1-2 count, but it bounded off the glove of catcher Chris LeFay and Murphy slid home as the go-ahead run. Buckmore then singled home Arakawa and Evans.
Chico State starter Michael Gleason pitched a season-high seven innings for the Wildcats, but absorbed
a no-decision. He allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out six.
Murphy and Arakawa led the Chico State offense with two hits apiece.
The series continues with a doubleheader Saturday at 11 and will conclude with a single game Sunday at 11.
BOX SCORE
GAME NOTES – The Wildcats have now won 14 of their last 17 meetings with Cal State San Bernardino…The Wildcats are 13-0 this season and they’ve won 17 in a row overall when hitting at least one home run…Murphy, who extended his hitting streak to seven games, is batting .476 (20-for-42) over the last 10 games…Chico State is now 56-5 when its starting pitcher goes at least seven innings in the Dave Taylor era…The Wildcats are now 10-2 in extra innings under Taylor’s watch…Evans’ streak of consecutive games with an RBI ended at eight…Arakawa, who has two-or-more hits in nine of his last 10 games, is now five hits shy of the century mark for his Chico State career…Waldron has stranded the last five baserunners he inherited.
