Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Chico State baseball team became the seventh in school history to win 12 in a row with an 8-1 opening-game victory against Cal State East Bay in Saturday's doubleheader. The Wildcats' streak ended with a 3-1 loss in the second game.
Brad Lohse (7-0) saw his scoreless innings streak ended at 29 but allowed only one run on seven hits in seven-and-a-third innings in the opener. The Wildcats scored twice in the second to take the lead and six in the eighth to break it open.
Luke Barker got the last five outs for this 11
th save of the season.
Connor Huesers had three hits, including a two-run double. Cody Slader slashed a two-run double and knocked in three. Tyler Madrid went 2-for-4, scored twice, and drove in a run.
Marcos Lara (6-2) struck out a staff season-high nine in the nightcap, but fell behind 2-0 in the first and the Wildcats never recovered. Madrid singled home Ruben Padilla (who had doubled to extend his hitting streak to eight games) in the fourth to cut the lead in half.
Trailing 3-1, the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out on the seventh. But Blake Walker was picked off of second base on an unlucky play. An errant pitch got past the catcher but bounced off the bricks right back to him. Walker, thinking Dylan Garcia was racing home, got way too far off second base. Kenny Corona flew to center to end the game and the Wildcats' win streak.
Chico State, ranked No. 5 in the nation entering the weekend, is now 26-6 overall and 18-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Cal State East Bay improved to 16-15 overall and 10-13 in the CCAA behind Ben O'Bryan's complete-game five-hitter and Kelly Starnes' second leadoff home run of the series.
The series concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 a.m.
