SAN FRANCISCO – Chico State baseball left San Francisco State Sunday with a series split after dropping the final game 6-2. The 'Cats couldn't muster much offense for one of the few times this year, and one bad inning made all the difference.
 
Starter Dalton Erb, the reigning California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and West Region Pitcher of the Week after a three-hit shutout of Sonoma State, was on track to have another great performance. He had cruised through six innings, allowing one run and striking out six. But a five-run seventh, all with two outs, knocked Erb out of the game. His final line didn't look pretty: 6.2 innings, eight hits and six runs. But his performance was strong again. Erb fell to 6-2 with the loss.
 
The Wildcats' bats were humming at an unusually low purr throughout the day. Sunday's game marked just the second since the start of March (30 games) in which the Wildcats had as few as two runs and five hits.
 
Ben Gamba continued his solid weekend, going 2-for-3 and scoring both the Wildcats' runs. But the rest of the team combined to go 3-for-27.
 
San Francisco State starting pitcher Peter Reyes was solid in his outing. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits over seven and two-thirds innings.
 
The 'Cats jumped out to a one run lead in the first inning after some fine baserunning got Gamba into scoring position and Dillon Kelley collected an RBI knock.
 
San Francisco State answered in the bottom half of the next inning with an RBI single of its own.
 
For the next four innings, both teams would go scoreless. The Wildcats had 14 straight batters retired in that time and the Gators didn't fair much better.
 
Chico State broke that streak in the seventh to take a short-lived lead. Gamba doubled to get things started and scored when Cody Snider's bouncer up the middle was mishandled.
 
With Erb cruising and the 'Cats leading, they appeared to be headed for a series win.
 
It only took a few swings of the bat to turn all the momentum the other way.
 
Needing to win out for any chance at the postseason, the Gators dug in. Three straight doubles, the second of which came on an 0-2 count and tied the game, fueled a decisive five-run rally.
 
The teams each got a few runners on over the next few frames but nothing came to fruition, leaving the teams with a series split.
 
San Francisco State improved to 21-22 overall and 13-18 in the CCAA. 
 
Chico State fell to 30-16 overall and 20-14 in conference action. The Wildcats' loss, coupled with Cal State Monterey Bay's win, dropped them from first place in the North Division into second, a half game behind the Otters.
 
The Wildcats will wrap up the regular season with a four-game series at Stanislaus State next weekend. Cal State East Bay, a game behind Chico State, and Cal State Monterey Bay will play a four-game series.
 
The Wildcats did get one favorable result Sunday when Sonoma State dropped the second game of a doubleheader against Stanislaus State, dropping the Wildcats' magic number to clinch a postseason berth to one. Any Chico State win or Sonoma State loss would wrap up a spot in the postseason for the Wildcats.
 
Sonoma State  will wrap up its season with a four-game series against San Francisco State.