Grant Larson has never surrendered more hits. But he never surrendered. The junior southpaw slugged his way through eight-and-a-third stress-stuffed innings in one of the gutsiest pitching performances in the history of Nettleton Stadium to lead the Chico State baseball team to a 4-2 win against rival Sonoma State Friday night at Nettleton Stadium.
 
Larson gave up a program-record 15 hits—at least one in every inning—but continually buckled down to set up the Wildcats' biggest win of the season. After allowing an RBI single in the first, Larson (6-3) retired eight of the next nine Seawolves who came to the plate with a runner in scoring position, coaxing double-play balls with two runners on to end the fifth and seventh, and registering one of his eight strikeouts with two on to end the sixth.
 
He ran out of gas in the ninth, allowing two straight two-strike hits to start the inning, and after a strikeout, a two-strike RBI-single that made it a two-run game and brought the go-ahead run to the plate.
 
Head Coach Dave Taylor made the call to the bullpen and Larson—who had gone the route in his previous start—left the field to a standing ovation. Alex Kent came on and closed the door, striking out the only two hitters he faced for his fifth save of the season.

 
Chico State improved to 22-18 and leapfrogged the Seawolves into fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings at 18-17. Sonoma State (21-22) slipped to 19-19 and into sixth the CCAA. The top six teams at the end of the regular season, which concludes a week from Saturday, will advance to the CCAA Tournament. Cal Poly Pomona, which lost Friday night, is now a game behind the Wildcats in seventh.
 
This crucial series continues Saturday with a noon doubleheader and concludes with a single game Sunday at noon. Both days will be full of meaning for reasons that go beyond the standings.
 
Saturday marks the public celebration of life for Steve Nettleton, for whom the stadium is named. Nettleton passed away in January. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. The program gets started at 11:30. Chico State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be providing a kids' sports fair on the soccer field adjacent to the stadium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
Sunday is Senior Day. The Wildcats' eight-man senior class of Andrew Lopez, Michael Lagier, Trenton Stowe, Dustin Miller, Myles Moran, William Curless, Brandon Hernandez, and Alex DeVito will be honored beginning at 11:30 a.m. prior to their final home game.
 
Larson's eight strikeouts (He only walked one.) gave him 161 in his three-year career and moved him past Ivan Hernandez into sixth in school history. He also made his 28^th start (tied for 10^th in school history) and 52^nd appearance (tied for 7^th).
 
The Wildcats took the lead with a two-run fourth. Miller and DeVito sparked with rally with back-to-back singles to start the inning. Turner Olson's sacrifice bunt moved them both into scoring position and Moran delivered a deep sacrifice fly to center field that tied the game. Eddie Zavala then smashed an RBI-single past the third baseman to plate DeVito and give them the lead.
 
JT Navarro's leadoff single in the fourth and heads-up baserunning led to another run. Navarro tagged up on a fly ball to right, sliding in just ahead of the throw, and then scored from second on DeVito's two-out ground single up the middle to make it 3-1.
 
They tacked on one more insurance run in the eighth. DeVito doubled with one out and Olson ripped an infield single that was smothered at second base to keep pinch-runner Cody Wissler from scoring. But Moran's grounder to short did the trick one batter later.
 
Moran has now driven in seven runs and racked up eight hits in 18 at-bats in his last five starts behind the dish.
 
DeVito finished 3-for-4 with a run and RBI, Zavala was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Moran 1-for-3 with two RBI.