CHICO, Calif. - In a game plagued by a late start due to rain and would turn into frigid conditions Thursday evening, the Chico State baseball team got the four-game CCAA series opener against Cal State East Bay completed, ultimately falling 7-1 to the Pioneers. Despite taking an early lead in the game, the Wildcats were unable to capitalize on their momentum due to unfortunate plays and a resilient performance by the Pioneers.
The Wildcats fall to 15-7 overall and 8-5 in the CCAA while the Pioneers improve to 9-10 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
Because of weather concerns earlier in the week, Wildcats head coach Dave Taylor and Pioneers skipper Mike Cummins agreed to shift the series around to avoid the showers. The showers did arrive and it did have the game start 30 minutes after the scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch. Although the game got underway with clear skies, rain made a brief reappearance early in the game, only to give way to chilly temperatures for the remainder of the evening.
Chico State opened the scoring with a run by Thade Miller, supported by a crucial RBI from Daniel Vierra. However, the early gain was not enough against the Pioneers' offense. Cal State East Bay players like Luke Brown, Jacob Klinovsky, Dominick Najar, Aidan Morton, and Gio Martini collectively propelled their team forward. Particularly noteworthy was Dominick Najar's standout performance, managing multiple stolen bases alongside his scoring efforts.
Key moments were seen when Najar and Martini added runs in the 2nd inning and Morton added to the RBI count in the third, alongside Martini. A critical phase for the Wildcats came in the fourth inning when they had bases loaded with no outs, only for a comebacker and subsequent double play squandered their prime scoring opportunity. Another chance in the fifth inning was also hampered by a double play.
The Wildcats and Pioneers will test Mother Nature again on Friday for game two of the series. Pending on the weather, the single game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Check ChicoWildcats.com for updates.
The game can be heard on KPAY AM 1290 and 102.9 FM with retired CCAA Commissioner Mitch Cox on the call.
