First came the double. Then the base hit. A throwing error that allowed a run to score followed — all before Chico State starting pitcher William Curless recorded an out. It was an inauspicious start for the Wildcats senior. What came next was an awesome performance.
Curless allowed only one hit to the next 19 hitters he faced and the 21
st-ranked Wildcats beat visiting Simpson University 6-1 Friday afternoon at Nettleton Stadium for their second straight series victory to start the season.
Curless struck out five and did not walk a hitter in his six innings of work. He's now gone nine innings over the first two weekends of the campaign, allowing just three hits, two walks, and one unearned run.
Chico State, which took two of three from the Red Hawks in its 2019 home-opening series, improved to 4-1. Redding-based Simpson slipped to 4-4.
Chico State pitcher William Curless allowed just one
unearned run on three hits in six innings of work.
(Photo by Skip Reager)
The Wildcats will open their California Collegiate Athletic Association schedule next weekend against Stanislaus State. They'll play single games at home Friday (at 3 p.m.) and Saturday (at noon) before traveling to Turlock for a doubleheader Sunday at 1 p.m.
Friday, the Wildcats grabbed a 2-1 lead on Griffin Hennessey's two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded in the second.
They took control of the game in the sixth. After Tyler Stofiel doubled leading off the inning, Dustin Miller was hit by a pitch and pinch-hitter Myles Moran walked to load the bases. Eddie Zavala came through with the clutch hit, grounding a two-run single through the left side. The Red Hawks committed two errors on the play—one on the throw to third and another on a dropped ball at second base—allowing another run to score.
Alex DeVito tacked on the game's final run with a sacrifice fly two batters later.
Zavala and Hennessey had two hits apiece to pace the Wildcats. Stofiel scored twice, stole a bag, and threw out a Simpson runner attempting to steal in the first.
Following Curless' departure, Andrew Lopez, Alex Kent, and Daniel Foret provided a scoreless inning of relief apiece.
