The Chico State baseball team could not complete the series sweep, falling 6-3 to Cal State East Bay Sunday at Nettleton Stadium, but still walked away with a series victory after having won the weekend's first three matchups.
Turner Olson and Willie Lajoie banged out two hits apiece and the Wildcats relief corps combined to allow only two runs on five hits in seven innings of work, but Chico State could not overcome the Pioneers' four early runs in falling to 12-6 overall and 8-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Cal State East Bay, which entered the weekend in a tie for first place, is 11-5 overall and 7-5 in the CCAA.
Depending on the result from the second game of a doubleheader in Pomona Sunday, the Wildcats will wrap up the week in a tie for second or tie for first in the CCAA standings.
Cal State East Bay pounced on Chico State starting pitcher Josh Verdon, scoring four times in the first two frames. Olson actually had two outfield assists in the second inning, the second of which ended the frame.
The Wildcats trimmed the deficit to 4-2 in the third. Olson led off the frame with a double off the base of the left-field wall and Lajoie followed with a triple down the right field line. When the throw to third got away and bounded into the dugout, he was awarded home. Lajoie also doubled to help the Wildcats plate a run in the ninth. Olson scored that run on Eddie Zavala's two-out single.
Though the Wildcats never recovered from the early deficit, reliever Connor Sealey gave them a chance. The senior entered the game at the stat of the third inning and produced four consecutive scoreless frames. He eventually allowed a pair of runs in the seventh, but went four-and-to-thirds, allowing just the two runs on four hits while striking out three.
Tyler Chivens got Sealey and the Wildcats out of a jam by getting the final out of the seventh, and then Brendan Henry and Kristian Scott each pitched a scoreless frame.
The Wildcats are back in action next weekend with another four-game home series. Cal State San Bernardino will be in town for a single game Friday at 6 p.m. a noon doubleheader on Saturday, and a single game Sunday at 11 a.m.
