STOCKTON, Calif. – Dan Beavers pounded his chest three times and screamed King Kong style, his undulating beard blowing in the breeze. The Chico State baseball team got two huge counter-punches after briefly falling behind, and Beavers delivered the knockout blow, retiring three straight Cal State L.A. hitters to end the ninth, in the Wildcats' 9–8 victory in the first game of the CCAA Tournament Wednesday at Banner Island Ballpark.
 
Beavers struck out pinch-hitter Nic Bereaud–his second strikeout of the inning–to earn his first save in a Chico State uniform.
 
"Moments like that are what you live for as a baseball player," said Beavers. "Honestly I was a little nervous. But you've got to trust your stuff."
 
The Wildcats, now 42-8, will face tonight's UC San Diego-Stanislaus State loser in the tournament's second round, Thursday at 3 p.m.
 
Beavers was in competition for the closer's role early this season, but struggled in his first few outings and has not been used much by Head Coach Dave Taylor. But he shined in four-plus innings of work last weekend at Cal State Monterey Bay.
 
Taylor did not hesitate to call him in from the bullpen when Anthony Baleto allowed consecutive home runs to start the inning.
 

"That Monterey series gave us a chance to get a look at some of the guys we haven't used that much," said Taylor. "Right now Dan probably has the best secondary stuff going out of our bullpen."
 
Stuart Bradley and Jae Wagner also got some big outs for the Wildcats after starter Casey Costello failed to get out of the fifth inning. Bradley (4-1) earned the win, getting the final two outs of the fifth with a runner in scoring position and keeping the powerful Golden Eagles off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh.
 
Wagner got him out of a jam in the eighth, getting the final two outs of the inning.
 
Chico State grabbed an early 3–0 lead on Cody Snider's two-run homer in the first and Josh Falco's RBI single in the third.
 
On a day warm day with the win blowing out to left off the Delta, no lead was safe. A three-run homer in the fifth marked the end of Costello's day and the Wildcats' lead.
 
But the Wildcats responded immediately.
 
"The counter-punch has been one of this team's strengths all year," said Taylor. "They got four but we came right back."
 
With one out in the bottom half of the inning, Cameron Santos was hit by a pitch. Then Dillon Kelley hit one out to give Chico State the lead back.
 
The Wildcats added four more runs in the sixth, and needed every last bit of cushion. Cortez drew a one-out walk to spark the rally that Snider set fire to with an RBI double down the line. Kelley and Falco also drove in runs in the inning.
 
Snider was 3-for-5 with three RBI, Kelley 3-for-4 with three RBI, and Falco 3-for-5 with two RBI. Cortez walked three times and scored twice. Santos was twice hit by a pitch, walked once, and scored twice.
 
The Most Valuable Player of last year's CCAA Tournament, Kelley is now 13-for-22 with three home runs and eight RBI in six career games at Banner Island Ballpark.
 
"I see the ball well here. It's a hitters' ballpark," said Kelley. "If you get a ball in the air good things can happen."
 
Meanwhile, Snider is now hitting .402 in his last 24 games while slugging .608 with 26 RBI.
 
"Relaxation has always been huge for me. That's been the biggest difference at the plate," said Snider. "Plus I'm in a comfortable spot in the lineup between Sonny and Cameron."  
 
Falco has now reached base in 40 straight games. He also had two of the Wildcats' four stolen bases and they set a new program single-season record with 105, breaking the 2002 team's mark.
 
Every Chico State postseason game will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to the online stream, video stream, and live stats are available at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section on the homepage and on the baseball schedule page.
 
2017 CCAA Baseball Tournament – Bracket
Banner Island Ballpark; Stockton, Calif.
May 10-13, 2017
 

Wednesday, May 10
Game 1 – 11:00 a.m.	No. 1 Chico State 9, No. 6 Cal State L.A. 8
Game 2 – 3:00 p.m.	No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay vs. No. 2 Cal Poly Pomona
Game 3 – 7:00 p.m.	No. 4 Stanislaus State vs. No. 3 UC San Diego
Thursday, May 11
Game 4 – 11:00 a.m.	Cal State L.A. vs. Loser of game 2 (elimination game)
Game 5 – 3:00 p.m.	Chico State vs. Loser of game 3 (possible elimination)
Game 6 – 7:00 p.m.	Winner of game 2 vs. Winner of game 3
Friday, May 12	(if four teams remain after game 6)
Game 7 – 11:00 a.m.	Winner of game 5 vs. Winner of game 6
Game 8 – 3:00 p.m.	Winner of game 4 vs. Loser of game 6
Game 9 – 7:00 p.m.	Loser of game 7 vs. Winner of game 8
	(if five teams remain after game 6 and two teams remain after game 9)
Game 7 – 11:00 a.m.	Loser of game 5 vs. Loser of game 6
Game 8 – 3:00 p.m.	Winner of game 4 vs. Winner of game 5
Game 9 – 7:00 p.m.	Winner of game 6 vs. Winner of game 7
	(if five teams remain after game 6 and three teams remain after game 9)
Game 7 – 11:00 a.m.	Loser of game 5 vs. Loser of game 6
Game 8 – 3:00 p.m.	Winner of game 4 vs. Winner of game 5
Game 9 – 7:00 p.m.	Winner of game 6 vs. Winner of game 7
Saturday, May 13	(if four teams remain after game 6)
Game 10 – 12:00 p.m.	Champinship: Winner of game 7 vs. Winner of game 9
Game 11 – 4:00 p.m.	If-necessary
	(if five teams remain after game 6 and two teams remain after game 9)
Game 10 – 12:00 p.m.	Champinship: Winner of game 7 vs. Winner of game 9
Game 11 – 4:00 p.m.	If-necessary
	(if five teams remain after game 6 and three teams remain after game 9)
Game 10 – 12:00 p.m.	Winner of game 8 vs. Loser of game 9
Game 11 – 4:00 p.m.	Winner of game 9 vs. Winner of game 10