Chico State left fielder Michael Schultz made a spectacular diving catch, got up, and put on his imaginary world championship belt ala famous Chicoan Aaron Rodgers. Cal State L.A., on the other hand, must have been wearing an abalone divers’ belt, designed to sink the one wearing it to the bottom of the ocean. The Golden Eagles committed five errors and Chico State took full advantage with a 21-hit attack to take the first of an important four-game series 15-1 Friday night at Nettleton Stadium.
Adrian Bringas went 5-for-6 with a double and four RBI, Shane Kroker doubled and drove in three and Matt Anderson went 3-for-5 as the 10th-ranked Wildcats improved to 23-7 overall and 17-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Bringas is the first Wildcat with five hits since current assistant coach Jimmy Dodos delivered five against Patten on March 28, 2008. The Chico State record is six. Bringas came to the plate with a chance to the record in the eighth, but grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Cal State L.A., ranked No. 27 in the nation, allowed six unearned runs and got completely dominated by Wildcats’ starter Kevin Brahney in sinking to 22-15 overall and 17-12 in the CCAA.
Brahney (1-3) first seven shutout innings, struck out eight. The hard throwing lefty surrendered consecutive singles to start the fourth but got the next three batters to escape the jam. He induced a double-play grounder after a runner reached on a one-out error in the fifth, and worked a 1-2-3 sixth. A two-out double in the seventh was the Golden Eagles’ only extra-base hit against him.
Wally Goodline (4-3) took the loss for Cal State L.A., allowing 14 runs (nine earned) on 17 hits in five innings of work. His defense did him no favors, though, starting in the very first frame. Second baseman David Compton let a made to order double play ball roll under his glove to open the door for a big inning and then threw low to first in a second attempt at an inning-inning double play allowing two runs to score and the Wildcats left the first frame with a 3-0 lead.
Things got so bad for the Golden Eagles defensively that on one trip to the mound Head Coach Vince Beringhele asked Goodline and catcher Brian Compton to step off the mound while he shared some feelings with his infield on it.
The Golden Eagles’ defensive struggles overshadowed what was arguably the best game of the season by Chico State’s offense. The 21 hits are the team’s most since its CCAA Championship Tournament second-round win against Cal State San Bernardino last season and its 15 runs are the most since it scored 21 in a season-opening win against Simpson.
The Wildcats blew the game open in the fourth inning in which they sent 13 runners to the plate. Justin Manci led off the inning with a double and cracked an RBI-single later in the frame. Bringas delivered the big blow with a two-run single, while Yasuhara, Cody Foster, Anderson, Kroker and Manci drove in a run apiece during the rally that made it 10-0.
Bringas and Kroker doubled in runs during a three-run fifth to make it 13-0. Ben Manlove led off the sixth with a double and scored on Schultz’s grounder to make it a two-touchdown lead. And Phil Jackson hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh to make it 15-0.
The Wildcats retained their two-game lead on Sonoma State and UC San Diego with the win, while Cal State L.A., which began the game in a three-way tie for first, dropped three games out of first and into fourth. Three teams – Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Monterey Bay are now within two games of the Golden Eagles for that fourth spot, which represents the final berth in the CCAA Championship Tournament.
The series resumes Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon and concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 AM. All three games will be available locally on AM 1290 KPAY and online at www.chicowildcats.com via the Wildcat Webcast link.
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