With a chance at a four-game sweep of San Francisco State Sunday, the Chico State baseball team broke out the Firebolt and blew out the Gators 9–0.
Steven Baker and three relievers combined for a two-hitter and Cameron Santos, Josh Falco, and Jimbo Pernetti drove in two runs apiece as Chico State won its eighth straight, sweeping its second straight California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) four-game series.
The Wildcats, winners of eight straight and 13 of their last 15, are now 15-4 overall and 8-0 in the CCAA. They were ranked No. 29 in the nation entering the weekend. They have now swept the Gators four times in the last seven seasons.
Baker (3-0) tossed five shutout innings, allowing just two singles and facing one over the minimum. Grant Wright threw a scoreless sixth, striking out two, and Grant Larson and Clayton Gelfand combined on a scoreless seventh.
Jimbo Pernetti doubled and drove
in two runs Sunday.
(Emily Bentz Photography)
The Wildcats grabbed an early 2–0 lead with on an RBI double off the bat of Pernetti and Tyler Stofiel's RBI grounder in the second.
They tacked on a run in the third when Andru Cardenas walked and scored on Santos' single.
Chico State broke the game open with a five-run fifth, aided by two of the Gators' five errors on the day. Cardenas plated the first run with a sacrifice bunt. Santos smacked an RBI-single to right. Dillon Kelley drove in a run with a ground ball. Falco lined an RBI-double down the right-field line. And Pernetti singled to left to plate Falco for an 8–0 advantage.
In the sixth, pinch-hitter Dallas Porter was hit by a pitch with two down to spark another uprising. Kelley singled him over to third before Falco plated him with a single to right.
The Wildcats will play their first conference road games of the season next weekend when they face Sonoma State for a four-game series in Rohnert Park beginning Friday at 2 p.m. The Wildcats currently hold a three-game lead over the second-place Seawolves in the CCAA North Division standings.
NOTE – Chico State Sports Information Department-world renowned Harry Potter expert Molly Ratto contributed to this story.
