HOUSTON – The Chico State baseball team got a number of big-league performances Friday in its opening game of the Houston Winter Invitational at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. Hunter Haworth started with six shutout innings. The Wildcats' defense was spotless, and spectacular up the middle, where center fielder Sonny Cortez and shortstop Casey Henderson made a number of sparkling plays. And Brian Pozos pounded a pinch-hit triple and scored.
But the biggest performance of all came from Texas A&M-Kingsville starting pitcher Seth Hubert, who held the Wildcats to just one hit in eight innings to lead the Javelinas to a 4–1 victory. The junior transfer from Western Texas College
Shorstop Casey Henderson makes an
off-balanced throw for an out.
improved to 2-0 and has now allowed just two hits in 14 innings this season.
The Javelinas broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the seventh and held on to win.
Chico State fell to 6-3 with the loss. Texas A&M-Kingsville improved to 4-0. The Wildcats will face St. Mary's (Texas) in their second of three games in Houston Saturday at 4 p.m., Pacific.
Haworth allowed just three hits and struck out nine in his first six innings of work. But the Javelinas got to him in the seventh. After allowing back-to-back base hits to start the frame, Haworth recorded his 10
th strikeout. But following a walk, the junior surrendered a bases-loaded triple that ended his afternoon.
After walking Cortez leading off the first, Hubert retired 10 in a row before Cameron Santos ended the streak with an infield single with one down in the fourth. He stole second base but was stranded there when Dillon Kelley was called out on strikes and Jimbo Pernetti flew out.
That was the beginning of another long streak for Hubert, who retired 12 in a row after the Santos single before hitting Josh Falco with a pitch with one down in the eighth.
The Wildcats finally broke through against a reliever in the ninth. Pozos hit a one-hopper off the wall in left-center and then scored on a Santos grounder.
St. Mary's, Chico State's opponent Saturday, dipped to 4-4 with a 9–6 loss to Tarleton State in Friday's first game.
Brian Pozos prepares to pound a triple to left-center field.
(All Photos by Skip Reager)
