TURLOCK – The Chico State baseball team wrapped up its first California Collegiate Athletic Association series of the season in impressive fashion, winning two games in Turlock against Stanislaus State to complete a series sweep. The Wildcats won the first game 4–0 and the second 9–3.
Cam Greenough and Stuart Bradley combined on a six-hit shutout in the opener. Andru Cardenas collected three hits and Cameron Santos drove in two runs.
In the nightcap, Josh Falco drove in three runs and Santos, Jimbo Pernetti, and Cody Snider knocked in two apiece.
The defending CCAA Champion Wildcats improved to 11-4 overall and jumped out to an early lead one-game lead atop the North Division standings at 4-0.
Stanislaus State, which entered the weekend rolling at 10-1 and winners of nine straight, slipped to 10-5 overall and 0-4 in the CCAA.
The Wildcats outscored the Warriors 23–7 in the series and have now allowed three or fewer runs in 10 of their last 11 games.
GAME 1
Greenough improved to 3-0 and extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 19 with six shutout frames Sunday. He allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out five.
Cameron Santos stole three bases Sunday and has now swiped 34 in
his career, which is tied for third in the history of the program.
Bradley entered the game in the seventh with a 3–0 lead and posted three scoreless innings for his first save of the season and the third of his Chico State career. The senior struck out six and allowed just two singles.
The Wildcats jumped in front in the third when Cardenas hit a grounder to plate Tyler Stofiel. They tacked on insurance runs in the sixth, seventh, and ninth. Santos drew a one-out walk and later scored when Falco was plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh. Sonny Cortez singled, stole second, and scored on a Santos bunt in the seventh. And Cardenas singled, stole second, and scored on a Santos single to center in the ninth.
Santos went 2-for-3 with a run, two RBI, and two stolen bases in the opener. Cardenas was 3-for-5 with a run, RBI, and stolen base.
GAME 2
The top six hitters in the Chico State order combined on nine hits, nine runs, nine RBI, and four stolen bases in the nightcap.
The Wildcats put crooked numbers on the board in the first, third, fifth, and seventh. Pernetti and Snider drove in runs in the first after Cortez and Cardenas set the table with a hit and walk, respectively. Santos moved them to second and third with a bunt.
The same two got things going in the third. Cortez singled and stole second. Cardenas singled to put runners at the corners. Santos and Pernetti plated them with bunts to make it 4–0.
The Wildcats broke the game open with three more runs in the fifth. Cardenas walked to set things up. Santos and Pernetti followed with base hits (Santos' scoring Cardenas), and Falco provided the big blow with a two-run double down the left-field line.
Pernetti pounded an RBI-triple and scored on Falco's base hit to finish the scoring in the seventh.
Chico State starter Steven Baker (2-0) earned the win in his first start of the season. The senior allowed two runs on three hits in four innings of work. He struck out three and walked one.
Anthony Baleto snuffed out a perspective Warriors rally in the sixth and Jae Wagner pitched a scoreless seventh to complete the sweep.
'CAT SCRATCHES
Cardenas has now hit safely in six straight games…Cortez has reached base safely in every game this season and 18 straight dating back to the 2016 campaign…The Wildcats stole eight bases Sunday and have now swept 35 on the season. Cortez is 10-for-10…Santos' three stolen bases Sunday brought his career total to 34, which tied him with Bob Clements for third on the program's career list…Cortez enters next weekend's series two hits shy of the century mark for his career. Santos is the team's active leader with 104…The defense played two more error-free games to bring their season total to 11…The Wildcats have outscored their opponents 52–12 over the first six innings of games, including 8–0 in the first.
ON DECK
Chico State hosts San Francisco State for a four-game series next weekend, beginning with the first Nettleton Stadium night game of the season Friday at 6.
