CHICO – Down one run in the bottom of the ninth inning, two outs, bases loaded and the best hitter at the plate. You couldn't ask for a better rally script if you are the Chico State baseball team.
With a 2-2 count, Troy Kent hit a fly ball into the gap in right center field that appeared to be a walk-off, but KW Quilici sprinted and made a great sliding catch to preserve Cal State Monterey Bay's 3-2 win over Chico State on a perfect Friday evening at Nettleton Stadium.
The Wildcats (21-16, 15-13 CCAA) remain in fifth place with a .536 conference win percentage while the Otters (26-15, 22-11 CCAA), at .667, still holds on to their slim lead in the CCAA standings.
Early into the game saw the starting pitchers perform well on the mound. Marco Ibarra took the loss despite going seven innings and throwing 100 pitches. He struck out three and while giving up six hits and two walks.
His counterpart, Nate Rohlicek, settled in after giving up a solo home run to Kent and three straight singles from Jeremy Keller, Carson Stevens and Stefan Foley to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Following Elijah Pascual's walk with two down in the first, Rohliceck would go on to retire 18 of the next 19 batters. It took a two-out pinch-hit walk from Andrew Crane in the seventh inning to get a Wildcat on base and put the pitcher on the stretch.
Ibarra, going up against the CCAA's best hitting team, pitched well in all but one inning during his outing. He got into trouble in the third when a leadoff walk followed by back-to-back singles gave the Otters their first run on the day. Ibarra retired the fourth and fifth inning in order. It was a two-out solo shots in the sixth and seventh innings that eventually became the scoring difference in the game.
The Wildcats' ninth-inning rally against Otter reliever Aidan Lee began with Stefan Foley reaching on the game's first error over at shortstop. The Wildcats got positive results from pinch-hitters Phoenix Casias and Thade Miller. Casias drew a five-pitch walk and Miller was hit in the elbow to load the bases, setting it up for the top of the order.
Cal State Monterey Bay and Chico State combined for 13 hits with 10 of them recorded as singles.
The two sides will play the 9/7-inning doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon.
