POMONA—Casey Costello didn't pitch like the West Region Pitcher of the Year. He was even better.
Costello came within one out of the second no-hitter in the Chico State baseball team's history and then managed to escape a jam after an error, finishing off a one-hit shutout for a 1-0 victory over Cal Poly Pomona in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
The victory gave the Wildcats a split of the twin bill and guaranteed them no worse than a split of the four-game series between teams jostling for position in the West Region rankings and the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). They remained in third and fourth place in the conference and entered the series ranked seventh and eighth in the region with Chico State one spot higher in both.
With losses from Sonoma State and San Francisco State on Saturday, the win also clinched a berth in the CCAA Tournament for the Wildcats. The top six CCAA teams will play for the CCAA's automatic West Regional berth on May 9-12 at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton.
Costello's gem improved Chico State to 25-16 in the CCAA and 29-18 overall. Cal Poly Pomona is 21-18 in the CCAA and 24-21 overall.
The host Broncos won 6-3 in the first game on Saturday.
Sunday's series finale is at 11 a.m. and can be heard on AM-1290 KPAY, starting at 10:35. Links to live stats, audio, and video can be found on the baseball schedule page and the calendar section of the homepage for Wildcats Athletics.
The series featured the two teams atop the CCAA in several pitching categories including earned run average. The staffs have lived up to their billing thus far. Grant Larson pitched into the eighth inning of a 5-1 victory on Friday for Chico State, and Bronco hurlers have issued one walk through three games.
But the best performance from the mound belongs to Costello. The CCAA and West Region Pitcher of the Year in 2017 when he went 12-0 in 16 starts, Costello dazzled for seven innings and hadn't allowed a hit until Brennan McKenzie sent a pitch to an open patch of grass in right-center field with the Broncos down to their last out in the seven-inning game of the twin bill's second contest.
Bryce Graddy then reached on an error to third, as Sean Grebeck, running for McKenzie, advanced to second.
With the tying run in scoring position and the winning run now on first, Costello struck out Logan Gopperton swinging to end the game.
Costello (6-2) tallied eight strikeouts without walking a Bronco. He threw 82 pitches in his seven scoreless innings. He retired Cal Poly Pomona in order in the first, second, fourth, and sixth innings. He never allowed a Bronco to get past second base.
Costello worked around Gopperton reaching on an error to start the bottom of the third inning. In the fifth, Graddy struck out swinging only to reach first base on a wild pitch. Costello got a groundout and a strikeout to strand him at second base.
Three outs away from a no-hitter, Costello induced a fly out to center field and another to left field before McKenzie broke it up with a single.
Instead, Costello joins a list of Chico State one-hitters tossed in seven-inning games, joining Craig Edwards (April 20, 1996), Brian Kroll (Feb. 8, 2003), and Andrew Pluta (Feb. 9, 2008). The fewest hits allowed by a pitcher in a nine-inning game is two done by both Garrett Rieck (May 19, 2007) and Nick Baker (April 4, 2014).
The only no-hitter in program history was a combined effort from Troy Neiman and Chris Rodriguez in a seven-inning, 13-0 victory over Academy of Art on Feb. 9, 2013. Neiman accounted for six innings while Rodriguez took care of the seventh. Neither walked a batter but two errors allowed runners to reach base.
On Saturday, Costello's gem was nearly matched by Tim Holdgrafer (3-2), who retired the Wildcats in order in the first, third, sixth, and seventh innings. The Cal Poly Pomona pitcher also went all seven innings and allowed four hits and no walks while striking out six. He threw 79 pitches and didn't give up an earned run.
The Wildcats' one run came in the fifth, courtesy of the Broncos' one error. RJ Hassey led off the inning, singling for the second time. With Tyler Stofiel likely putting down a bunt, the Broncos threw over to first base to keep Hassey close and to see if Stofiel would reveal his intentions of a sacrifice early. Instead, the throw to first base was errant, allowing Hassey to reach all the way to third base. Stofiel then singled up the middle to score Hassey.
Costello then made that solitary run stand up.
In the first game, Hassey was 3 of 4 while Kyle Blakeman had two hits including a two-run home run that gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning. Casey Henderson singled and scored on Blakeman's blast, his fifth, which ranks second on the Wildcats behind Alex DeVito's seven on the season.
Chico State starter Hilario Tovar pitched seven innings, bouncing back from a four-run third from the Broncos.
Base hits from Dustin Miller, Hassey, and Stofiel got Chico State within 5-3 in the top of the fourth. But the 'Cats could get no closer.
After Sunday's game with the Broncos, Chico State finishes the regular series with a May 4 doubleheader against Stanislaus State at Nettleton Stadium. The first game starts at 2 p.m. on Friday in a pair of make-up contests from Feb. 18 that were postponed.
