The Chico State baseball team opened a crucial four-game series against UC San Diego in spectacular fashion Saturday night at Nettleton Stadium, jumping on the Tritons early and riding Grant Larson's long left arm to a 9-2 victory.
 
Chico State scored three times in the second and five in the third against Tritons ace Preston Mott, handing the southpaw his first loss of the season. Mott, who had allowed just 10 earned runs in his first seven starts of the season, gave up nine in five-and-two-thirds innings Saturday in falling to 4-1.
 
Kyle Blakeman's two-out, two-run single in the second and Dustin Miller's two-out, three-run homer in the third proved to be the big blows.
 
Meanwhile, Larson struck out nine in seven strong innings to improve to 4-2 this season. He allowed two earned runs on six hits. The San Diego native beat the Tritons in his first collegiate start last season, Chico State's 12-5 victory in the CCAA Tournament title game. He allowed just one run in five innings of work while striking out six that day. In nine starts this season, Larson is carving out a niche as one of the conference's top starters. He matched his career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts on Saturday and now boasts a 2.58 ERA and 56 strikeouts and 52-plus innings.
 
Anthony Baleto took over for the final two frames, allowing just one walk, to complete the combined six hitter.

 

Chico State improved to 19-14 overall and 15-12 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with its third straight win. UC San Diego slipped to 19-11 overall and 15-10 in the CCAA. The teams are now two of the six separated by a game or less in the race for second place in the conference standings.
 
The series continues with a doubleheader Sunday at noon and concludes with a single game Monday morning at 11.
 
UC San Diego led off the game with a double and also got a runner to second with one out in the second. But Larson worked out of both jams.
 
Chico State got its first scoring chance in the bottom of the second and broke through. Alex DeVito led off with a base hit and RJ Hassey drew a one-out walk. Casey Henderson singled through the left side to plate DeVito. Tyler Stofiel walked to load the bases, and with two down, Blakeman blooped a two-run single down the right field line.
 
The Wildcats added on in the third, and then added on some more.
 
Cameron Santos led off the inning with a single and DeVito's base hit put runners on the corners. Turner Olson capped a gritty at-bat with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 4-0.
 
Hassey's hit put two runners aboard ahead of Stofiel, who singled through the left side to drive in another run. Miller broke the game open, mashing a long home run to right field to stretch Chico State's lead to 8-0. It was Miller's second home run of the season and both have been of the three-run variety.
 
UC San Diego showed life in the fifth, scoring a pair, but that was as close as the Tritons got.
 
Chico State tacked on the game's final run in the sixth when Santos walked, moved to second on DeVito's base hit, and came around to score on Hassey's RBI single.
 
DeVito finished 3-for-5 and scored twice. Hassey went 2-for-3 and scored twice. Santos and Stofiel also had two hits apiece.
 
Santos' second hit tied him with Kevin Miller (1987-90) for second on Chico State's career hits list with 196.
 
Olson, who went 1-for-3 with the RBI, has now reached safely in 11 straight games.
 
Sunday's doubleheader will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to live audio, video and stats for three remaining games of the series are available at www.chicowildcats.com.