Jorge Perez played it cool at the hot corner, center fielder Eddie Zavala threw out a runner at the plate, and the Chico State baseball team's defense was the deciding factor in a 6-4 victory over San Francisco State Sunday at Nettleton Stadium. With the win, their seventh in the last eight games, the Wildcats won their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opening series three games to one.
The Wildcats trailed 4-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh but took advantage of a San Francisco State defensive miscue to build a three-run, game-winning rally. JT Navarro drew a leadoff walk and Turner Olson followed with his third hit of the day to seed the comeback. Willie Lajoie laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached when Perez's San Francisco State counterpart at third had the ball bound out of his glove before he could make the transfer and throw.
With one out, Zavala dove headfirst into first base to escape an inning-ending double play and allow Navarro to score the tying run.
Designated hitter Adam Muñoz provided the game's biggest hit with a two-out, two strike single to left that put the Wildcats ahead to stay, 6-4.
Chico State is now 7-3 overall and 3-1 in CCAA play as relief pitchers Josh Verdon, Alex Kent, and Kristian Scott combined to allow only one run in six innings of work. San Francisco State slipped to 7-3 and 1-3.
Kent worked a flawless two-and-a-third frames after coming on for Verdon (2.2 IP, one run) with one on in the sixth. He got out of that situation when catcher Tyler Stofiel caught Jackson Kritsch attempting to steal his way into scoring position. Kent then retired the Gators in order in the seventh and eighth to earn the win, improving to 2-0. Scott worked around a one-out walk to earn his second save in as many days.
Scott's final pitch was scalded to Perez at third but the senior gloved it cleanly to start an around-the-horn game-ending double play.
San Francisco State threatened to break the game open in the first, already leading 1-0 with the bases loaded and one out. But Zavala charged and one-hopped a throw home to Stofiel, nailing Kritsch at the plate. Wildcats starter Austin McFarlane got the final out to keep the Gators within striking distance.
The Wildcats scored three in the third to tie it. Navarro was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and Olson followed with a single. Navarro later scored on a wild pitch and Olson came around on Cody Wissler's single through the right side of a drawn-in infield. Zavala and Muñoz followed with back-to-back hits to tie the game.
San Francisco state reclaimed the lead in the fifth following a leadoff triple, but two huge defensive plays kept it a one-run game. With the bases loaded, first baseman Willie Lajoie stabbed a chopper and threw home for a force out for the second out of the inning. Perez then laid out to his left, quickly got up, and threw out the runner at first to end the threat, saving at least one run in the process.
Muñoz went 2-for-4 with three RBI for the Wildcats. Navarro reached base four times in five plate appearances and scored a pair of runs. Olson finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Wildcats will hit the road next weekend for a four-game set against Cal State Monterey Bay in Seaside. The series is scheduled to start with a single game Friday at 6 p.m.
