Ryan O'Shea's second career save came nearly three years after his first. The sixth-year senior's career has been beset by frustrating injuries. But he's persevered and pitching better than ever this season.
O'Shea threw a scoreless ninth in the Chico State baseball team's 4-1 win in the first of two games against Cal State San Bernardino Saturday at Nettleton Stadium. The Wildcats dropped the nightcap 4-1.
Chico State is now 8-9 overall and 7-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal State San Bernardino improved to 5-19 overall and 3-12 in the CCAA.
Dylan Garcia had four hits on the day.Starter Brad Lohse completed seven innings to earn the win in the first game, allowing just four hits and a run. Robert Hook threw a scoreless eighth to set things up for O'Shea, who has now fired three hitless frames this season, fanning six of the 10 hitters he's faced.
O'Shea's first collegiate save came on May 5, 2012 of his sophomore season when he blanked Cal State Stanislaus for three frames in a 2-0 win.
Dylan Garcia had three hits to lead the offense. Andrew Carrillo and Clayton Gelfand notched two hits and drove in a run apiece.
The Wildcats opened the scoring in the second when Garcia doubled and then scored on Gelfand's base hit.
They scored three more times in the fifth to stretch the lead to 4-0. Cody Slader slammed an RBI-triple off the wall, Carrillo cracked an RBI-double down the left-field line and then Peter Miller singled in the third run with a shot up the middle.
Cal State San Bernardino's four-run sixth in the second game denied the Wildcats a doubleheader sweep.
The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the second when Sean Smith led off the inning with a single, stole second, and came around to score on Garcia's two-out single.
Freshman starter Hunter Haworth worked out of trouble for most of his four scoreless innings, but he kept the Wildcats ahead.
AJ Epstein could not do the same, however. After getting out of a jam in the fifth, the Coyotes cut loose for four runs against him in the sixth.
Smith had two hits and two stolen bases in the second game to lead the Wildcats' attack.
The four-game series concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 a.m. at Nettleton Stadium.
