Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 It’s hard to know what tomorrow will bring, let alone next year. But it’s a safe bet Northwest Nazarene University Head Baseball Coach Tim Onofrei will wake up smiling on Feb. 21, 2014, knowing his team won’t be facing Chico State’s Blake Gibbs.
Gibbs went deep twice against Northwest Nazarene University Thursday on the one-year anniversary of his first career two-homer game, which also came against the Crusaders. The second of Gibbs’ two-run blasts completed the Wildcats’ rally from five runs down in the opener of Thursday’s doubleheader. Northwest Nazarene scored a run in the 10th to win 6-5, however. Chico State bounced back nicely, scoring five times in the first inning of the nightcap before winning 6-2.
The loss was Chico State’s first of the season, ending the fourth longest winning streak to start the season in program history at nine games. The loss also snapped the Wildcats’ 11-game home winning streak and marked Northwest Nazarene’s first-ever win against Chico State in four tries.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A PHOTO GALLERY OF THE FIRST THREE GAMES OF THE SERIES
The 5th-ranked Wildcats, No. 1 in the West Region poll, head into Friday’s series finale 10-1.
Northwest Nazarene is 6-6 thanks to Aaron Vaughn’s courageous complete-game performance in Thursday’s first game. Vaughn threw all 10 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits. He struck out eight and walked two to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Vaughn stranded Wildcats in scoring position in the ninth and 10th innings, and the Crusaders got a wacky game-winning run in their half of the 10th that proved to be the winning run. Jon Matos came to the plate with one down and the bases loaded and hit a mini pop fly over pitcher Mike Botelho that landed before shortstop Cody Slader could converge on it.
The Wildcats trailed 5-0 before Gibbs woke them from their slumber with a two-run bomb to left in the fourth. They cut the lead to 5-3 in the sixth when Cody Webber doubled and later scored on a wild pitch. Gibbs completed the comeback with a two-run shot in the seventh that tied the game 5-5.
That was Gibbs’ fifth career home run against Northwest Nazarene and third in two days. In five career games against the Crusaders, Gibbs is 6-for-13 with five home runs, a triple, six RBI, eight runs scored and a stolen base. He’s also walked seven times and been hit by a pitch for an on-base percentage of .667.
Gibbs, Webber and Eric Angerer banged out two hits apiece against Vaughn. But the rest of the team went a combined 2-for-26.
Ryan O’Shea (1-1) took the loss for Chico State, but he was a big reason why they had a chance to win. O’Shea put up five consecutive zeroes while the Wildcats’ offense worked its way back into the game. He struck out nine, notching his 100th career strikeout in the process, and didn’t allow a hit before a leadoff knock in the 10th. He hit a batter and walked another to load the bases before exiting.
If the Wildcats were feeling sorry for themselves following their first loss of the season, they didn’t show it. They jumped all over Northwest Nazarene starter Tyson Flannery in the nightcap, chasing him from the game before he could complete the first frame.
Leadoff hitter Eric Angerer was hit by a pitch, Pierson Jeremiah walked, and Cody Webber singled to load the bases. Gibbs walked with the bases loaded to open the scoring, Austin Prott drove in the second run with a base hit. A passed ball and a balk plated two more runs before Ryne Clark’s RBI-grounder made it 5-0.
Gibbs drew a leadoff walk and scored in the third to stretch the lead to 6-0.
That was plenty for the Wildcats’ pitching staff. Steven Swift, making his first start for the Wildcats after transferring from the University of Washington, went four and two-thirds innings to earn the win, improving to 2-0. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out three.
Sean Martin got the Wildcats out of a jam in the fifth and finished the game for his first save of the season. He went two and a third innings, allowing just one hit, no walks, and striking out three.
The series concludes Friday with a single game at 2:30.
