HAYWARD – The Chico State baseball team can take solace in the Cal State East Bay schedule page, which shows them beating almost every viable California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) team at least once this season. Now the Wildcats hope make sure they don’t let it happen twice, or their grip on first place on the CCAA will be loosened considerably.

Cal State East Bay starter Brandyn Bell (5-2) buffaloed the Wildcats for the first seven innings, allowing just three hits and no runs. They finally broke through with a three-run eighth, but by then the host Pioneers had built a big lead and held on for a 6-3 win.

Chico State fell to 26-9 overall and 20-8 in the CCAA with the loss and now leads second-place UC San Diego by one game with 12 to play in the regular season. Cal State East Bay, which also boasts wins against the Tritons, third-place Sonoma State, fourth-place Cal Poly Pomona, sixth-place Cal State San Bernardino, seventh-place Cal State Dominguez Hills, and eighth-place Cal State Stanislaus, improved to 14-31 overall and 12-26 in the CCAA.

Pinch-hitter Ian McKay got the Wildcats going with a leadoff single in the eighth and TJ Yasuhara followed with a double. Cody Foster brought them home with a two-run double, and with the heart of the order coming up, the Wildcats looked as though they might be in business. But Jackson Evans flew out and Adrian Bringas grounded out. That allowed Foster to score, but the Wildcats failed to mount another rally.

Freshman Ryan O’Shea (4-3) took the loss for the Wildcats in what was really his first rough start of the season. He surrendered four runs on seven hits in four-plus innings. Foster, who finished 2-for-4, notched the Wildcats’ lone multi-hit game.

The series concludes Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 11 AM. The Wildcats – ranked No. 2 in the West Region – will then return home for a crucial four-game series with UC San Diego – ranked No. 1 in the West – beginning with a single game Friday at 6 PM at Nettleton Stadium.

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