SAN BERNARDINO – The Chico State baseball team got a solid outing from Ethan Lay to take game one of a doubleheader against Cal State San Bernardino 4-0, but the defending NCAA West Region champions grinded through the late contest and walked off on the Wildcats 9-8 to split the twinbill on Sunday.
Although the challenge of winning the final game of the series continues, the Wildcats (20-12, 15-12 CCAA) remain unbeaten in a series on the road. Chico State has taken series wins over San Bernardino, Cal State LA, Stanislaus State while splitting at Cal Poly Pomona in the conference opener in February.
Chico State missed out on a chance to leap into third place in the conference standings had it swept San Bernardino (14-18, 7-15 CCAA). But with a .556 winning percentage, the Wildcats remain well positioned for a postseason spot as they head into a bye weekend from league play. Following a non-conference trip to Colorado Mesa this coming weekend, the Wildcats will have three CCAA series to play in the final stretch including two at Nettleton Stadium.
The first game of the day started out as a pitching duel between starters Lay and Benny Olguin. Both made it through seven at least seven innings and were excellent in their own way. For Lay, he struck out two batters and gave up seven hits and a walk, but his pitch count was kept low. He left the game with two outs in the eighth inning on 91 pitches.
Lay also got the benefit from his defense as they turned in four double plays in the game, including three that ended the inning.
Olguin also had a good outing, conceding three earned runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out five batters.
The eventual winning run came in the fifth inning. Michael Baker singled to right to lead off the inning, took second on Neko Capsaliaris's sacrifice bunt, reached third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on Alexander Johnson's RBI single to center.
While they had the lead, a one-run lead typically is not safe for a hitter-friendly Fiscalini Field. The Wildcats got big insurance runs in the sixth inning. Carson Stevens singled and then Jeremy Keller followed with a two-run home run to left center. The Wildcats would play small ball in the seventh inning to get the fourth run. Ernie Arambula led off with a single, jogged to second on a balk, reached third on Johnson's sacrifice bunt and scored on Troy Kent's sacrifice fly.
Joseph Loubert took over for Lay in the eighth and got four quick outs to end the game.
Game two, which was scheduled to go seven innings, started out with both teams scoring three runs in the first. Daniel Vierra hit into a fielder's choice that allowed Johnson to score and Jeremy Keller drove in two more with a double to left center.
Chico State got three more runs in the following inning. Elijah Pascual led off with a single to center and Johnson crushed a two-run shot to left field. Kent kept the inning going with a single and stole second. A ground ball from Vierra allowed Kent to go to third and Carson Stevens hit a single to center to drive in the third run and give Chico State a 6-3 lead.
Keller came through again in the third inning with a solo home run to center field, giving the Wildcats a 7-4 lead.
In what turned out to be a bullpen game for the 'Cats, the Coyotes slowly climbed their way back into the game, scoring two runs in the fourth inning and tying the game at seven in the sixth.
With one out in the visitor's half of the seventh, Vierra singled to second and moved to second on a passed ball, Stefan Foley knocked in the go-ahead run with a single to center.
The Coyotes quickly responded in their half of the seventh with a leadoff home run to tie the game and then using a double and an RBI single to walk it off.
Chico State will be making a visit to Grand Junction, Colorado for a non-conference series against Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks, currently in first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, are coming off a conference series split with Colorado State Pueblo. They are 23-11 overall.
