CHICO, Calif. – Much like the season-opener last weekend, the Chico State baseball team responded to a series-opening loss by coming up with clutch hits, capitalizing on errors and another quality start from Evan Tomlinson as the Wildcats took game one 6-3 and the second contest 9-4 to take 2-of-3 over reigning GNAC champions Northwest Nazarene in Nettleton Stadium on Saturday.
It is the second straight series win for Chico State as it improves to 4-2 overall.
Thade Miller had quite a day at the plate as the leadoff man, going 6-for-8 in the twinbill, including four in game one. He also had a busy date at second base, tallying three putouts while being credited for seven assists. Tomlinson, meanwhile, was one of the highlights in the seven-inning game, reaching the sixth inning allowing six hits and a walk while allowing three runners to score for the first time this season.
Game 1 – CHICO 6, NNU 3
After starting pitcher Jeremy Keller got out of the first inning allowing a walk, the Wildcats went an aggressive approach in response to Friday's loss. Miller led off hitting a single through the left side and Troy Kent showed his strength by hitting a two-run home run to the deepest part of the park in center field. Daniel Vierra kept the line moving with a single and eventually scored on Ayden Nordby's triple down the right field line. Jesse Gadd knocked in Nordby with a single up the middle to put Chico State ahead 4-0.
The surge in the first proved to be important because the Nighthawks (7-3) responded with two straight singles to lead off the second that resulted two runs. Chico State got one of those runs back in the third inning. Nordby led off with a walk to end Nighthawk starting pitcher Tyler Stolfich's day. Nordby reached third immediately on Gadd's single and scored on a double-play ball.
After Keller limited a leadoff single in the third, he ran into some trouble in the fourth with two runners in scoring position and two out. Joseph Loubert picked him up by getting a one-pitch flyout to center.
Chico State collected its sixth run in the game in the fifth. With one out, Juan Nunez singled up the middle, took third on Miller's double (his fourth straight hit in the game), Kent and Vierra drew walks to force in a run.
Loubert pitched 1-2-3 fifth inning but the Nighthawks seemed to have figured him out in the sixth. A walk would result with one out eventually resulted in a run. Aaron McCurley came in with the bases loaded and two away. He got an inning-ending fielder's choice to limit the damage to one run and keep the score at 6-3. McCurley pitched three impressive innings before handing the ball to Ryan Silvers, who left a runner on second stranded by ending the game with a flyout.
The game turned out to be in favor of the hitters, as there were a combined 26 hits between the two teams.
Game 2 – CHICO 9, NNU 4
While Tomlinson did his part on the pitching side of things, he got support from the offense very early. Miller drew a walk to start the home inning, stole second, took third on Vierra's single and scored on Keller's double to left center. Vierra scored while a fielding error by the second baseman allowed Carson Case to reach safely. Michael Baker doubled to right center that brought in Keller to reach home safely and put the Wildcats ahead 3-0.
With one out in the second inning, Patrick Barnum and Miller singled to setup another base hit by Kent to left that allowed the two runs to score. Another Nighthawk two-out error allowed the inning to continue and resulted another run for Chico State. Baker punished Northwest Nazarene again with an RBI single to right, giving Chico State a 7-0 lead.
Chico State completed the scoring in the third inning with two outs. Miller and Kent performed another 1-2 punch by hitting singles, another Nighthawk error allowed Miller to score from second and Keller singled to center to bring Kent home and move the Wildcats ahead 9-0.
Tomlinson was practically in momentum most of his outing, limiting the Nighthawks to two hits, a walk and an error. It wasn't until the sixth inning that he received an earned-run average. Northwest Nazarene used three doubles and a single to knock in two runs and end Tomlinson's day. Marco Ibarra came in with runners on second and third and one out. Ibarra and the Wildcats traded a run for an out and a popout to Casey Vogan at first base.
Northwest Nazarene managed to get a run on three straight singles and a sacrifice fly, but Ibarra got another flyout to end the game.
Chico State will look to have another classic series matchup with Colorado Mesa as the two will meet for four games at Nettleton Stadium beginning Thursday. The Mavericks, who a year ago captured the RMAC title but saw an early exit in the NCAA South Central Regional, opened the season taking 2-of-3 from Cal Poly Pomona at Scolinos Field to open their 2025 campaign.
Colorado Mesa took 3-of-4 from Chico State in Grand Junction last season.
