SEASIDE—A baseball season is long. There will be days to remember while others will fade with time. Sunday was definitely not the former for the Chico State baseball team as the Wildcats were on the wrong end of a doubleheader at Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Otters first won 3-0 and then got a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning of the second game for a 4-3 victory as they took three of four in the series between the top two teams in the conference entering the weekend.
That's where they'll remain in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings, just in a different order.
The 24th-ranked Wildcats saw their record drop to 9-5 in the CCAA and 13-7 overall. Cal State Monterey Bay, ranked No. 29, moved percentage points ahead of Chico State in the conference standings at 8-4 to go with a 14-4 overall mark.
Turner Olson's RBI double gave Chico State its first lead of the day in the second game's third inning as the freshman's two-out hit allowed Luke Hussung to score after he had walked and stole second.
The Otters tied it in their half of the third inning and took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on Myles Hager's two-run double.
Chico State would find an answer in the sixth. Cameron Santos—who broke up a no-hit bid in the first game with a two-out single in the sixth inning—led off with a double to right-center field. Alex DeVito singled to right and advanced to second on a throwing error, putting two runners in scoring position. With one out, Casey Henderson came through with a single up the middle to bring them both home and tie the game at 3.
The Otters' Hayden Duer tortured the Wildcats again in the bottom of the sixth. After he provided a two-run home run in the first game Sunday, he hit a solo homer with one out for the 4-3 advantage. That was the first earned run charged against Jae Wagner (1-1) this season in 12.1 innings over 10 appearances.
It was Duer's two-run double that gave Monterey Bay a walk-off win at 12-11 in 15 innings in Friday's series opener and the longest game in Wildcats history. Wagner tossed three scoreless innings, as he's been one of the leaders in a stout Chico State bullpen for much of this season.
Pinch-hitter Louie Canjura singled to start the seventh and final inning of Sunday's twin bill, but the Wildcats couldn't get pinch-runner Dustin Miller past second base after putting down a sacrifice bunt to get him there.
RJ Hassey had two hits in the first game for Chico State, which couldn't break through against Otters starting pitcher Levi Noddin, who allowed two hits and two walks in eight scoreless innings as he struck out six. Ian Manzo got his first save after working around a Hassey hit in the ninth.
Chico State starting pitcher Grant Larson (2-1) kept the 'Cats close with six effective innings. He allowed three runs, two of them earned, on six hits and three walks. He struck out two as did Andrew Lopez in his two scoreless innings of relief.
Santos had two hits in the second game as part of a three-hit day. Starting pitcher William Curless ended up with a no-decision after he went four innings and allowed three runs, two of them earned, on three hits and two walks. He struck out four.
Chico State returns to Nettleton Stadium for a four-game series with Cal State East Bay, beginning with a 3 p.m. game Friday before a doubleheader at noon on Saturday. The series finale is set for noon on Sunday.
