HOUSTON—If there's a positive takeaway from the Houston Winter Invitational, it's that the Chico State baseball team proved it can more than hold its own against arguably the best programs in the country. In their final game of the season-opening tournament, the Wildcats had defending NCAA national champion North Greenville on the ropes Sunday morning at Minute Maid Park, but some crucial defensive miscues and ineffective relief pitching ultimately did the 'Cats in. The Crusaders scored seven times in the sixth inning and withstood a late Chico State rally to squeak out a 7-6 victory.
Sunday's loss dropped Chico State to 1-2 on the season.
The Wildcats actually outhit North Greenville 13-7 in the contest, with Kyle Dobson delivering three hits and Jeremy Keller, Logan Drummond, and Xabi Iparraguirre each racking up a pair of safeties. Righthanded junior transfer Justin Tamelier, making his Chico State pitching debut Sunday, was sensational against the defending national champs, allowing just one run and one hit while striking out three in five-and-a-third innings of work.
The Wildcats jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the second inning when Dobson laced a one-out triple and Drummond promptly singled him home with a base hit up the middle. North Greenville tried to answer in its half of the second, using two Chico State throwing errors to put runners at second and third with one out. Tamelier short-circuited the rally by inducing a flyout and groundout to end the inning.
The 'Cats added to their lead in the top of the third. Jacob Jablonski was hit by a pitch, and advanced to third base courtesy of a sacrifice bunt and flyout. Cameron Mahaffy came through with a two-out single that plated Jablonski and put Chico State up 2-0.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Wildcats extended their advantage to 4-0 as Keller and Jeffrey Ray both served up RBI doubles. But in the bottom of the sixth, North Greenville mounted the rally that would prove to determine the outcome of the game.
After Tamelier walked the leadoff batter, Chico State head coach Dave Taylor went to his bullpen. Back-to-back singles produced the Crusaders' first run of the game, and a sacrifice fly made it a 4-2 contest. North Greenville tied the game when a two-out Wildcats error allowed two runs to score. Following an intentional walk to Marek Chlup, Cory Bivins blasted a three-run home run to left field, giving the Crusaders a 7-4 lead.
Chico State fought back to make it a one-run game in the top of the eighth inning, as Jablonski and Iparraguirre each came through with RBI singles. Wildcats' reliever Kevin Lyons tossed a scoreless bottom of the eighth, setting the stage for what the 'Cats hoped would be an exciting finish.
The inning started promisingly enough, as Dobson stroked a leadoff to right field. But that would be all Chico State would produce in the final frame, as North Greenville reliever Nate Roof struck out the next three Wildcats hitters to end the game, giving the Crusaders the 7-6 win.
Chico State plays its first home games of the 2023 campaign this Friday and Saturday, when the Wildcats take on the Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific in a three-game series at Nettleton Stadium. A single game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, with a doubleheader slated to start at 12 noon on Saturday.
