LA JOLLA—It has been a strange season thus far, but one thing has become abundantly clear: The life the Chico State baseball team loves is playing baseball with their friends, and they clearly couldn't wait to get on the road again. The Wildcats improved to 10-0 on the road with a 3-0 victory at 8
th-ranked UC San Diego Friday night in La Jolla. Daniel Foret and three relievers combined to shut out the Tritons out at home for the first time since May 7, 2016.
Insisting the world keep turnin' their way…
Despite entering this four-game series a bit short staffed, the Wildcats won for the 11
th time in their last 12 games. Foret filled the void, making his first start with the team a winning one. The junior transfer fired five scoreless innings, scattering three doubles, walking three and striking out three in improving to 2-1 on the season. Foret retired the Tritons in order just once, in the first inning. But he was untouched with runners aboard, holding UC San Diego hitless in eight at-bats.
Connor Sealey worked around three walks over two hitless frames and Kenton Carruthers pitched a scoreless eighth to provide the bridge to Alex Kent who retired the Tritons in order in the ninth to collect his second save.
Dustin Miller's third-inning sacrifice fly gave Chico State the lead and Jorge Perez knocked in a pair with a bases-loaded single in the sixth.
Daniel Foret pitched five scoreless innings in
his first Chico State start to earn the win.
The Wildcats are now 15-8 overall, and only four weeks after dropping their six straight to open California Collegiate Athletic Association play, there are only two games out of first place at 11-7 in the CCAA.
UC San Diego slipped to 17-5 overall, including 14-3 at home, and 12-5 in the CCAA. The Tritons remain a half-game behind first-place San Francisco State, which also dropped its series opener Friday at Cal State LA. Cal State Monterey Bay is in third, percentage points ahead of the Wildcats.
The Wildcats' 10-game road win streak matches their longest since they won 17 in a row away from home to start the 2017 season.
Tyler Grissom and JT Navarro set things up in the third with back-to-back singles to start the inning. Brandon Hernandez bunted them into scoring position ahead of Miller's sacrifice fly.
Alex DeVito led off with a single in the sixth, Eddie Zavala singled with one out, and Myles Moran walked to load the bases ahead of Perez. The junior third baseman and walk-off hero of last Sunday's extra-innings win, singled through the right side to plate a pair.
Perez finished 3-for-4 and has eight hits in his last 13 at-bats.
Navarro has now hit safely in 13 straight games and DeVito has reached safely in 19 in a row.
Miller and Zavala went 2-for-4 Friday and Miller is now hitting an even .400.
Seein' things that they may never see again…
The Wildcats will attempt to clinch a series split or win Saturday when the teams meet again for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The series will conclude with a single game Sunday at noon. That might be the final game between these teams in La Jolla. Next season will be the Tritons' last in Division II. In 2021 they will be playing in the Big West.
