SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Chico State baseball team put up quite a battle in their 2025 season opener against No. 5 Point Loma Friday afternoon, but the defending NCAA West Region champions was able to rally in the late innings and walked of in the 10^th by a score of 3-2 at ocean-front Carroll B. Land Stadium.
 
Each team saw respectable performances on both sides of the game. While neither side recorded an error, Chico State racked up 10 hits and Point Loma had eight.
 
Junior college transfer Rocco Borrelli had quite an impressive start in his Chico State debut. He gave up the lone run in his outing in the opening frame but he settled in and went on to post four strikeouts and allowed one walk in five innings of work.
 
While the Sea Lions plated the first run, the lead did not last long. Troy Kent, a member of last year's All-CCAA first team, picked up where he left off by going 2-for-4 including an opposite field solo home run that tied the game at one in the third inning.
 
In the sixth inning, Daniel Vierra hit a one-out double down the left field line and Carson Case, another Wildcat newcomer, knocked him in with a single to left center, giving Chico State a 2-1 lead. Case started to be aggressive on the base paths. He stole second and with two out he tried to score from second on Michael Baker's single to left, but the relay throw to home plate was in time, keeping it a one-run difference.
 
Chico State saw a similar ending in the seventh inning. With two out, leadoff man Thade Miller single to center and tried to reach home all the way from first on Kent's double down the left field line, but, once again, the relay throw was made perfect.
 
After going quiet since the first inning, Point Loma played a little bit of small ball in the eighth that hurt Chico State. Owen May drew a leadoff walk stole second and with two out, Bryson Hashimoto singled through the left side to bring in the tying run. Facing the pressure of the go-ahead run at second, Marco Ibarra got a big play from Miller as the second baseman made a great dive on a ground ball going up the middle and was able to make the throw to first to end the inning and keep the game tied at two.
 
Lorenzo Mariani opened up the ninth inning with a single but would end up stranded at second base. Chico State would once again be aggressive on the base path. Miller led off with a single but was caught trying to steal second base. Kent drew a walk to take Miller's spot and was successful in taking second. He ended up being stranded as the Sea Lions got two outs to keep the game tied.
 
May, once again, became the hero for the Sea Lions in the 10^th. He led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored the walkoff on pinch-hitter Josiah Rodriguez's single to right.
 
The two teams wrap up the three-game non-conference series Saturday with a 9/7-inning doubleheader. Game one first pitch is at 11 a.m.