HAYWARD – It wasn't a good day to be on the baseball field for Chico State as a walkoff in game one and a halted rally in the evening cap allowed Cal State East Bay to sweep Saturday's doubleheader at Pioneer Field.
Although the Wildcats rallied in the ninth to tie game one, the Pioneers responded and with one out used three hits and a walk in-between to take the first contest 6-5. Chico State tried to climb out of a four-run deficit in game two by scoring two runs but Pioneer starter Max Gonzales was able to hang on and complete the doubleheader sweep with a 6-4 result.
By dropping to 18-16 in the CCAA for a .529 win percentage, the Wildcats missed out on clinching a spot to the CCAA Tournament after Cal State LA split with San Francisco State on the other side of the bay. Instead, the Wildcats will now fall to fifth place and trail fourth-place SF State by a half-of-a-game. Chico State did get help down south with Cal Poly Pomona taking two from sixth-place Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Toros are now 15-18 with a .455 win percentage. The Golden Eagles, with their split, drop to 15-19 and are now at .428.
Troy Kent had a 4-for-8 day with five RBIs. Two of those runs he drove in were clutch in game one as it tied the game at five in the ninth inning. Carson Stevens also had a clutch moment in the final inning of game two, when he hit a two-run double to get the Wildcats to within two. It was his only hit on the day.
On the pitching side, Kevin Lyons threw six innings of game one. He struck out six and allowed one walk but had to take the loss after a two-out error allowed the Pioneers to score three unearned runs. Joseph Loubert and Scott Lewis each took the ball in the later innings. Loubert struck out two in as many innings of work on the mound and Lewis was the victim of the Pioneers' ninth-inning walkoff.
It was a difficult day for Ethan Lay in game two as he threw 4.2 innings giving up all six runs. Tyce Ochs went the rest of the way throwing 1.1 innings of shutout work.
Chico State will wrap up the series with East Bay Sunday at noon.
