Ten minutes after delivering one of the biggest hits of the season, a walk-off, two-run single that gave the Chico State baseball team an 8-7 win against Cal State Monterey Bay, Tyler Madrid grabbed a rake and started tending to the area around first base.
 
Those 10 minutes Friday night at Nettleton Stadium provided the perfect recipe for the rest of the Wildcats' season: win, and then get right back to work.
 

The Wildcats improved to 11-12 overall and evened their California Collegiate Athletic Association record at 10-10 by winning for just the fifth time in the last 13 games. They leapfrogged two teams in the conference standings in the process, but still trail Cal State L.A. by two and a half games in the race for the fourth and final CCAA Championship Tournament berth.
 
But they believe they can bounce back, as evidenced by their thrilling three-run rally in the ninth on Friday.
 
True freshman Cameron Santos planted the seed for the uprising with a gritty at-bat culminating in an infield hit. Andrew Carrillo was hit by a pitch to put the tying run on, and then James Hatano laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners along.
 
After pitching around Dylan Garcia for the first three pitches, the Otters intentionally walked him to load the bases.
 
Pinch-hitter Danny Miller drew a full-count walk to plate the first run and bring Madrid to the plate.
 
The massive left-hander then lashed a line drive to left-center, scoring Carrillo and Garcia and sending the Wildcats home with a much-needed win.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay dropped to 18-11 overall and 14-7 in the CCAA.
 
Andy Burschinger retired the Otters in order in the ninth to collect his first win as a Wildcat.  Kurt Laver and Robert Hook also pitched well in relief of starter Luke Barker, who had an uncharacteristically uneven evening, allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings.
 
Santos went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Connor Huesers was 2-for-4 with a stolen base for the Wildcats.
 

Hatano knocked in Cody Bistline (leadoff single) with an RBI single in the third to cut Chico State's deficit to 3-1. They scored three more times in the fourth, highlighted by Santos' two-run single, to take the lead. Huesers singled and eventually stole third before scoring on a passed ball for the first run of the inning.
 
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Otters scored twice in the fifth to surge ahead 5-4.
 
Chico State tied it in the bottom half of the inning when Hatano led off with a walk, moved to third on a Huesers single and Madrid's walk, and then scored on Sean Smith's infield hit.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay scored twice in the eighth, however, and things were looking grim before the Wildcats rallied in the ninth.
 
The series continues with a doubleheader Saturday at noon and concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 a.m.