SEASIDE – The Chico State baseball team is feeling the effects of the new BBCOR bats, designed to react similar to wood. And the Cal State Monterey Bay baseball team is feeling the effects of a new head coach – Walt White. The Wildcats and Otters played two more low scoring games Saturday and the ’Cats were primed for a sweep after winning the first game 6-2 and holding a 2-0 lead late in the second. But the Otters, playing much better under White’s leadership this season did something no one would have expected before he arrived, rallying with four late runs to beat the Wildcats 4-2 in the second game.
The loss snapped 9th-ranked Chico State’s winning streak at nine games. The Wildcats are now 10-2 overall and 5-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State Monterey, which split a four-game series with then top-ranked UC San Diego last weekend, is now 6-9 overall and 3-4 in the CCAA. The series concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 AM.
Freshman starter Ryan O’Shea tossed six strong innings to earn the win in the opener, improving to 2-0. He allowed just one run on three hits. Reliever Stephen Thompson gave up one run in two innings in relief and Scott Newberry closed the game with a scoreless ninth.
The Wildcats trailed 1-0 heading into the sixth before taking advantage of some shaky Cal State Monterey defense to put three runs on the board. Cody Foster got the inning started with a double to right center field and scored when Ben Manlove’s sacrifice bunt was thrown into left field in an attempt to catch Foster advancing to third. Manlove hustled all the way and wound up at third base on the play. Shane Kroker drove him in with a ground ball to shortstop that was mishandled and Kroker eventually scored on Jackson Evan’s two-out base hit.
Foster got things going for the Wildcats again in the seventh, drawing a two-out walk. After Manlove reached on a throwing error, Kroker delivered a base hit through the left side to make it 4-1. TJ Yasuhara was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Evans who came through with a two-run single for the final winning margin.
The Wildcats got more help from the Otters’ defense to grab a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in game two. Evans’ two-out pop up in the infield was dropped, Bringas lined a single and the Matt Anderson drew a walk. Ian McKay drove in two runs with a base hit, but those would be the last runs of the day for the Wildcats.
It looked as though that would be enough for Wildcats starter Kevin Brahney. The big left hander cruised through the first five innings of his first start of the season allowing just three hits and striking out seven. But he ran into trouble in the sixth, surrendering a base hit, double and walk to load the bases.
Chcio State closer Juan Guerra tried to work out of the jam, but allowed a two-run double, a fielders’ choice RBI and an RBI single. Relievers Jordan Lindebaum and Sheldon Lechuga finally got the Wildcats out of the jam, but following McKay’s leadoff single they couldn’t push across any runs in the bottom half of the inning.
