The beauty of the evening Friday night at Nettleton Stadium was only matched by the beautiful baseball played by Chico State in a 7-0 win against Cal State Dominguez Hills. Luke Barker and Robert Engels combined on a six-hit shutout, the defense played flawlessly, and the offense provided crooked numbers in the third, fifth and sixth.
 
Barker scattered four hits in eight innings, never allowing a Toros runner to reach second base. In the process, he improved to 4-1 and lowered his season ERA to 1.43, which would be the third lowest in school history and lowest since 1967 (50 innings minimum) if the season were over today.
 

Chico State improved to 14-17 overall and 13-15 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal State Dominguez Hills dipped to 17-18 overall and 11-14 in the CCAA.
 
Following a leadoff single in the fourth, Barker did not surrender a hit until the eighth.
 
Engels pitched a scoreless ninth, working around consecutive one-out singles.
 
Meanwhile, between the second and sixth, Chico State's offense featured at least two baserunners five times.
 
The Wildcats broke through in the third.
 
Cody Bistline's walk got things started and Cody Slader followed with a bunt single. With two down and runners at the corners, Andrew Carrillo came through with a huge hit through the right side for a 1-0 lead. Clayton Gelfand doubled down the right-field line to plate another run, and then Connor Huesers hit an RBI-single to left to make it 3-0.
 
Slader started a two-run rally in the fifth with another leadoff walk. Dylan Garcia drew a walk as well, setting up Cameron Santos' sacrifice bunt. Carrillo drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and then Garcia galloped home following an errant pickoff attempt at first base to make it 5-0.
 
The Wildcats rallied again in the sixth, loading the bases when Peter Lecce and Sean Smith were hit by pitches and Bistline bunted for a hit. Slader plated Lecce with a sacrifice bunt and Bistline scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-0.
 
Huesers and Slader finished with two hits apiece and Carrillo drove in a pair of runs to lead of the offense.  
 
The series continues with a doubleheader Saturday at noon and concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 a.m.