CARSON – After picking up a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball series-opening win over Cal State Dominguez Hills, Chico State kept its postseason hopes alive.
 
But, when the two returned to Toro Field for Saturday's doubleheader, the Toros' bats may have ended those hopes after taking the twinbill 7-0 in game one and 15-6 in the nightcap.
 
With the loss, coupled with Cal Poly Pomona's game two win at San Francisco State later in the evening, Chico State became mathematically eliminated from CCAA Championship contention.
 
Ethan Lay was solid on the mound in game one for the 'Cats, going 5.2 innings and allowing one run in the sixth inning while recording three hits, walks and strikeouts each. But the 'Cats offense had no answer to the Toros' Julian Diaz, who was brilliant by throwing eight innings allowing three hits and striking out eight.
 
Jeffrey Ray had two of Chico State's five hits.
 
Game two of the doubleheader was much like the series opener, a lot of hits were recorded but it was the Toros who cashed in all the runs. They scored in every inning but the sixth, including five in the second and six in the fifth.
 
Kyle Dobson went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Andrew Crane had a 2-for-4 game with two RBIs to lead the effort for Chico State.
 
The two teams wrap up the series Sunday at noon.