The Chico State baseball team's 2023 home opener did not exactly start out in sparkling fashion. Ten minutes into the game, the Wildcats had committed three errors and handed visiting Fresno Pacific a pair of unearned runs. Despite the 'Cats committing a fourth miscue later in the contest, Chico State was eventually able to right the ship, and Jacob Jablonski's three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning turned out to be the difference as the Wildcats edged the Sunbirds 6-5 at Nettleton Stadium.
 
Friday's win evened Chico State's record on the young season at 2-2. Fresno Pacific slipped to 3-2 on the year.
 
Jablonski was 3-for-4 on the day, knocking in four of the Wildcats' six runs. Freshman Kaden Bass also posted three hits, as the Wildcats racked up nine safeties in the win.
 
Thanks to a walk and the three errors, Fresno Pacific jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the game's opening frame. Without the benefit of a hit, Chico State cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second inning—back-to-back walks to Cameron Mahaffy and Kyle Dobson, a sacrifice bunt by Andrew Crane, and a groundout by Ernie Arambula manufactured a run to make it a 2-1 contest.
 
The 'Cats pulled even in their next at-bat, as Crane was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home Bass from third base in the bottom of the third. The Wildcats went out in front 3-2 in the fourth on a two-out double by Bass followed by Jablonski's RBI single to center.
 
After giving up two unearned runs in the first inning, Chico State starting pitcher Dylan Day kept Fresno Pacific off the scoreboard for the next three frames, but the Sunbirds plated a pair against Wildcats reliever Logan Meyers in the fifth to jump back on top 4-3. It stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth inning—Bass and Jeffrey Ray delivered back-to-back one-out singles to set the stage for Jablonski, who launched his second big fly of the year over the right field wall to give Chico State a 6-4 lead.
 
The Sunbirds threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out. Kevin Lyons, however, worked out of the jam—after a sacrifice fly made it a 6-5 game, Lyons induced a popup and a groundout to end the inning and keep the 'Cats on top.
 
Fresno Pacific was able to get the potential tying run aboard in both the eighth and ninth innings, but Marco Ibarra and Josh Verdon combined to deliver two scoreless innings of relief in crunch time. Ironically, the game ended on a sparkling defensive play by the Wildcats, turning a 4-6-3 double play to put the finishing touches on the 6-5 victory.
 
Lyons, the third of five Chico State pitchers, got credit for the win, with Verdon picking up his first save of the season.
 
Chico State and Fresno Pacific conclude their three-game series Saturday at "The Nett" with a doubleheader slated to get underway at 12 noon. Fans unable to attend in person can follow the action online with Live Stats live streaming video, with links located on the Wildcat Athletics homepage and the baseball schedule page.