SEASIDE—Anyone who questioned the Chico State baseball team's makeup was blushing Saturday afternoon. Less than 24 hours removed from a staggering 15-inning loss in its series opener at Cal State Monterey Bay, the Wildcats rebounded with a season-high 19 hits and rolled to an 8-3 victory.
 
Alex DeVito drilled five singles, three of which drove in a run, in five at-bats. Trevor Steinman and Tyler Stofiel stacked up three hits apiece. The 19 hits match the most by the Wildcats since the 2014 season. DeVito's five hits are tied for the second most in school history. Ryne Clark went 6-for-6 against to lead a 22-hit attack against San Francisco State on March 28, 2014. That game marked the last time a Wildcats team had more than 19 hits.
 
Rain delayed the start of Saturday's game by more than 30 minutes, and during that delay, it was decided that the scheduled doubleheader would be shortened to just one game. The series will now conclude with a doubleheader beginning Sunday at noon. Both games will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY.
 
The 24^th-ranked Wildcats improved to 13-5 overall and maintained their pole position in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) at 9-3. Cal State Monterey Bay, ranked No. 29 in the nation and in second place in the CCAA starting the day, slipped to 12-4 overall and 6-4 in the CCAA.
 
UC San Diego now sits in second place at 10-5 in conference play.
 
The highly-anticipated series between the top two teams in the CCAA entering the weekend began with the longest game in Chico State history, a 15-inning affair in which the Wildcats lost four leads, including a 9-8 advantage in the ninth and 11-9 edge in the 15^th.

 

But they weren't feeling sorry for themselves Saturday. The Wildcats banged out 11 hits in the first four innings while building a 6-0 advantage. Cal State Monterey Bay battled back to cut the lead in half, but relievers Dan Beavers and Anthony Baleto shut the door, and the Wildcats tacked on insurance runs in the eighth and ninth.
 
Starter Hilario Tovar earned the win, improving to 2-2 after allowing three runs in five frames. Beavers relieved with three scoreless innings of work, and Baleto retired the Otters in order in the ninth, two via strikeout.
 
The Chico State bullpen has allowed just two earned runs in 15 and-a-third innings in the series against the CCAA's top offensive team in terms of batting average and run production.
 
Former Wildcat Colton Fletcher started for the Otters and took the loss, falling to 3-1. The lefty allowed six runs (one earned) on 12 hits in four frames.
 
His former teammate, Cameron Santos, collected the biggest hit of the game. Santos slugged a two-out, two-run double to left center to key Chico State's five-run fourth. The hit was the 177^th of Santos' brilliant career, tying him with Bao-nhan Vinh for fifth in program history, and drove in the 100^th and 101^st run of his career. He's the 10^th Wildcat to reach the century mark in RBIs.

 

The Wildcats opened the scoring in the first when Kyle Blakeman singled leading off the game and scored on DeVito's first hit.
 
DeVito has now hit safely in each of the Wildcats last 10 games. The junior transfer from LA Mission Community College now leads the CCAA in hitting at .434.
 
Chico State took control of the game in the fourth. Casey Henderson singled leading off the inning, and after Stofiel reached on an error, freshman Turner Olson plated Henderson with a bunt single. Dustin Miller drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice bunt. Santos' two-run double and DeVito's RBI single up the middle made it 6-0.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay scored two in the bottom of the fourth and another run in the fifth to cut the lead in half. But Beavers and Baleto halted the Otters' momentum.
 
DeVito and Jacob White had two-out RBI-singles in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
 
Batting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Blakeman got on base three times and scored three runs. He went 1-for-3 and was twice hit by pitches. RJ Hassey and Olson banged out two hits apiece.