It was a gorgeous night at Nettleton Stadium Thursday and the Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona baseball teams took that cue and ran with it, playing a magnificent college baseball game. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Cal Poly Pomona ace Tim Holdgrafer was as cool as the April evening air, allowing only an unearned run on five hits in eight strong innings to lead the Broncos to a 3-1 victory.
 
Holdgrafer allowed only one hit in his first five innings of work—Dustin Miller's RBI single in the fourth—and then got out of jams in the sixth, seventh, and eighth unscathed to improve to 8-3.
 
Chico State starter William Curless was nearly his equal. The senior allowed only two runs on four hits in six innings of work. He struck out seven but was saddled with the hard-luck loss, falling to 2-4.
 
Down one in the sixth and seventh, the Wildcats stranded runners second. And after the Broncos added an insurance run in the eighth, Chico State stranded a runner on third.
 
Darin May retired the Wildcats in order in the ninth for his sixth save.
 
The game also featured some fabulous defense, highlighted by the efforts of Wildcats third baseman Jorge Perez, who made a running catch while crashing into the wall beyond the third-base bag in the first and then saved a run in the sixth with a diving stop and strong throw to first.
 
Chico State slipped to 19-16 overall and 15-15 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with the loss, while Cal Poly Pomona moved to 21-22 overall and 19-18 in the CCAA.
 
Brandon Hernandez banged out a pair of hits, including a double, to pace Chico State's offense. Miller has now reached base in 19 consecutive games.
 
The four-game series continues with a twinbill Friday at noon and will conclude with a single game Saturday morning at 11.