SAN BERNARDINO – Pierson Jeremiah tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, but Cal State San Bernardino got a two out walk-off single by Paul Eshleman in the bottom half of the inning as the Coyotes beat the Chico State baseball team 4-3 Saturday at Fiscalini Field.
With the win, the Coyotes handed Chico State its first series loss of the season and pulled percentage points ahead of the Wildcats in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings. Chico State, which entered the weekend ranked No. 15 in the nation, fell to 26-12 overall and 16-12 in the CCAA.
Cal State San Bernardino, which also benefitted from a home run by Eshleman earlier in the day, improved to 17-12 overall and 14-12 in the CCAA with its 11th win in its last 15 games.
Chico State heads into the final 12 games of the regular season with a one-game lead over Cal Poly Pomona in the race for fourth place in the CCAA. The top four teams in the final regular season standings will advance to the CCAA Championship Tournament.
Back-to-back doubles by Blake Gibbs and Myles Dempsey netted the Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the fourth. And Cody Foster and Gibbs hit consecutive doubles in the fifth to tack on another run. But Eshleman’s home run leading off the bottom of the fifth cut the lead in half, and one batter later, Wildcats starter Troy Neiman left the game with an injury.
Eshleman’s home run was the first hit allowed by Neiman.
Wildcats closer Mike Botelho, called upon early with the loss of Neiman, walked home the tying run in the sixth to knot the score at 2-2.
Cal State San Bernardino took its first lead in the eighth on an unearned run resulting from right fielder Ian McKay’s errant throw.
The Wildcats battled back in the ninth. Pinch hitter Jordan Beck was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and McKay drew a walk. Ben Manlove sacrificed the runners over and TJ Yasuhara was intentionally walked to load the bases. That also put an end to Yasuhara’s 13-game hitting streak.
Jeremiah tied the score by lifting a 2-2 pitch deep enough to right field to plate pinch runner Roger Boulden.
Wildcats Reliever Jeremy Perez hit two batters, and with two down and with two down and two runners on, Eshleman hit the second pitch he saw from Sean Martin into right-center to end the game.
McKay went 2-for-2 and Gibbs 2-for-4 for the Wildcats, who managed just six hits against four Coyotes pitchers.
The Wildcats are now off until April 20 when they begin a four-game series at Sonoma State. The final game of that series, April 22, will take place at Raley Field, home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.
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