The importance of Sunday's Chico State-Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball game was huge for both teams—the Wildcats were in danger of dropping the four-game set, while the Toros were primed to pick up some important ground in the conference standings. With so much riding on the outcome, it was no surprise that the series finale turned into a good old-fashioned barnburner, featuring a combined 25 runs, 29 hits, seven home runs, and nine solid innings of thrills—not the least of which was Jacob Jablonski's three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, capping off a six-run rally to give the 'Cats a 14-11 victory and a split of the series.
With Sunday's exciting win, Chico State improves to 27-9 on the season and 20-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), keeping pace with first place Cal State Monterey Bay while opening up a little breathing room between the Wildcats and third place Dominguez Hills. The Toros slipped to 21-13 overall and 16-8 in CCAA play.
The 'Cats piled up 16 hits on the day, with Jack Murphy and Kyle Dobson collecting three knocks apiece. Jeffrey Ray, Grady Morgan, and Willie Lajoie each contributed two hits as the 'Cats scored in double figures in a game for the 20th time this season.
Cal State Dominguez Hills broke the seal in the top of the second inning, capitalizing on a Chico State error to take a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats evened things up in the bottom of the third when Murphy led off the frame with a double, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a double play grounder.
The Toros went back in front 2-1 in the fourth on a solo home run by Kevin Moscoso. The Wildcats answered with authority with a five-spot in the bottom of the inning—Dobson tripled home Elijah Jackson and scored on a two-out single by Murphy to put Chico State in front. Following a single by Ray, Morgan sent his fourth home run of the year over the left-center field wall, extending the 'Cats' advantage to 6-2.
Cal State Dominguez Hills got two of those runs back in the top of the fifth, one on a solo homer by Anthony Accordino. In the sixth, the Toros jumped out in front 7-6 on the strength of a three-run bomb by Emilio Barrera.
The 'Cats threatened to score in the sixth inning, but squandered a bases-loaded, one-out situation. In the seventh, Chico State got the first two runners aboard, but once again came away empty. The Toros went up 8-6 when Moscoso went yard again in the top of the eighth inning, sending a solo home run over the Nettleton Stadium scoreboard.
Chico State got another chance to climb back in the contest in the bottom of the eighth, and this time the Wildcats struck pay dirt, as Ray singled home Murphy and Jarret Lindsay to knot up the game 8-8.
The game didn't stay tied for long—back-to-back RBI doubles by Accordino and Albert Luevano pushed three runs across for Dominguez Hills in the top of the ninth inning. Now with an 11-8 lead, the Toros needed just three more outs to secure the win and take the series.
That third squeeze never came.
Dobson launched a solo home run for the 'Cats with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and Lindsay and Murphy both reached on hit by pitches to put the tying runs aboard. With two outs, Morgan sent a blooper to right field that evaded a diving Caleb Ellis and drove in pinch runner Ernie Arambula to make it a one run game. Lajoie then grounded a single through the left side to chase home Murphy to tie the game at 11-all.
The three-run rally set the stage for the dramatic game-winning round tripper.
Jablonski mashed the first pitch he saw from Toros reliever Donovan Waitman to dead center, just clearing the wall and the outstretched glove of outfielder Eric Smelko to finish the 'Cats' ninth inning uprising with a flourish, giving Chico State the walk-off 14-11 win.
Gerrit Erickson, the fourth Wildcat pitcher of the day, picked up the first win of his Chico State career. Waitman (1-2) was tagged with the loss for Dominguez Hills.
The Wildcats are on the road next week, traveling to Southern California to take on Cal State San Bernardino. The four-game set begins with a single contest Thursday at 3 p.m., with a doubleheader scheduled for Friday at 12 noon. The series concludes with a single game Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
