SEASIDE – The Chico State and Cal State Monterey Bay baseball teams saw good performances on the pitching and defensive ends of Friday's doubleheader, but it was the Otters who took both close games over the Wildcats, 4-2 and 2-1.
 
Chico State falls to 15-13 overall and 9-9 in the CCAA. Monterey Bay, perhaps the hottest team in the CCAA with 11 straight wins, improves to 21-9 overall and 19-4 in the conference to stay in first place.
 
The two sides will meet one more time Saturday at noon.
 
Game 1 – CSUMB 4, CHICO 2
Despite the score, the Wildcats got a solid outing from Justin Tamelier, who threw six innings with a career-high eight strikeouts. Another highlight in his gem performance was giving up just one walk.
 
Although the Otters first broke the ice in the opening inning, the 'Cats did all the scoring in the third inning. Andrew Crane led off with a home run to tie the game, Kaden Bass followed with a walk, took second during a routine groundout at first and eventually found his way home on back-to-back singles by Elijah Jackson and Logan Drummond to give the 'Cats a 2-1 lead.
 
After pitching a 1-2-3 fourth inning, Tamelier ran into a bit of trouble again in the fifth. He surrendered a leadoff single and a passed ball allowed the runner into scoring position, setting up the Otters with an RBI double down the right field line to tie the game.
 
Both sides threw a scoreless sixth and seventh inning, but it was the eighth when the Otters moved ahead again, using a wild pitch and an RBI single to take a 4-2 lead.
 
The 'Cats would go down in order in the ninth.
 
Game 2 – CSUMB 2, CHICO 1
Monterey Bay scored all the runs it needed in the first inning off Cody Gentry. The Otters immediately went to work with a leadoff single followed by an RBI double down the left field line to take a 1-0 lead. Three batters later, the Otters took a 2-0 lead using a sacrifice fly.
 
After the first inning, Gentry put zeroes on the board up until the sixth inning. The left-hander tossed four strikeouts but allowed eight base runners on four hits and walks each.
 
The Wildcats lone run came in that sixth inning. Hunter James Boylan hit a one-out single and advanced to second on Zach Morris' walk. An Otter error allowed Boylan to score the 'Cats lone run.
 
Chico State had a scoring opportunity in the seventh inning. With two down, Drummond and the pinch-hitting Jeremy Keller hit back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners, but closer Chris Tonna, who got the win in game one, picked up the save after he got a groundout to first to end the game.