After losing three straight to open its series against Cal State Monterey Bay, the Chico State baseball team was in desperate need of a palate cleanse on Senior Day. Two grand slams helped do the trick. Jeffrey Ray hit those two grand slams, tying an NCAA Division II baseball record, to help fuel the Wildcats' 26-7 win. In doing so, Ray became the 20
th Division II player to accomplish the feat while also tying Rich Gregory's Chico State baseball record with eight RBI.
The win wasn't only important for the Wildcats' morale. It also kept them tied with Cal Poly Pomona for second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings and provided an important boost to their NCAA Championship resume. Chico State, which entered the weekend ranked No. 22 in the nation, is now 30-14 overall and 23-12 in the CCAA. 14
th-ranked Cal State Monterey, which clinched the CCAA's regular-season title Saturday, wrapped up its regular season schedule with an overall record of 36-13 and conference mark of 31-9.
The Otters will be the top seed in the upcoming CCAA Tournament, which will take place May 11-14 at Nettleton Stadium. Chico State will be chasing the No. 2 seed next week in during its final regular-season series at Cal State East Bay. The Wildcats will need to pick up a game on Cal Poly Pomona (which is hosting Cal State Dominguez Hills) in order to grab it. The top two seeds in the tournament avoid Wednesday's first-round elimination games.
Putting up crooked numbers like the they did Sunday would certainly help the Wildcats. Chico State scored in each of the first seven innings, including five in the second, two in the third, two in the fourth, eight in the fifth, and seven in the seventh. Similar contributions from the seniors in the lineup would help as well. Jack Murphy went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Andrew Renteria ripped an RBI-double, and Willie Lajoie went 2-for-4.
Those three, along with pitchers Braeden Gowdy, Tyler Chivens, and Austin McFarlane were honored prior to Sunday's game.
And after falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first, they jumped the Otters for a run in the bottom half of the inning and four more in the second. Lajoie drove in the first run of the game. Renteria's RBI-double down the third base line evened the game at 2-apiece, and then Murphy ripped a two-run single to left. Brady Morgan, who joined Elijah Jackson with a team-high three hits Sunday, smacked an RBI single, and then Lajoie (who walked) scored when Morgan stole second and the throw got into center field.
Cal State Monterey Bay battled back, however, and tied the game at 6-6. The Otters could not keep pace with the Wildcat after that. Chico State got two runs in the bottom of the third and RBI doubles off the bats of Jacob Jablonski and Jarret Lindsay in the fourth to make it 10-6.
They broke it open in the fifth, scoring eight runs, capped by Ray's first grand slam, a shot over the left-field wall. Ray did it again in the seventh, this time pulling a high drive right down the line that appeared to fly just over the top of the foul pole.
Ray has now hit three grand slams—the Division II record is five—and is tied for the team lead with six home runs.
Kevin Lyons earned the win (moving to 4-1) with four-and-two-thirds innings of relief. He scattered six hits, struck out three, and allowed only one run.
Next week's series at Cal State East Bay starts with a single game Thursday at 3 p.m., continues with a doubleheader Friday at noon, and concludes with a single game Saturday at 11 a.m. All four games will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 and FM 102.9 KPAY with an online audio stream available for those outside of the region. The games will be also be streamed on the CCAA Network.
