CARSON, Calif. – It was a homecoming feel for Chico State's Marco Ibarra as the senior right-hander, who grew up just south of Cal State Dominguez Hills, pitched a seven-inning shutout gem in front of his family to help the Wildcats take the series finale 12-0 and split the four-game CCAA series with the first-place Toros Sunday afternoon.
 
Chico State improves to 23-14 overall and 16-12 (.571) in the CCAA. The win keeps the Wildcats in fifth place in the CCAA standings with 12 games to play, including a four-game series with fourth-place Cal State LA at Nettleton Stadium beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. The Golden Eagles hit the road after getting swept by Cal State Monterey Bay to fall to 20-18 overall and 17-11 (.607) in conference play.
 
Ibarra picked up his fifth win on the season in dominant fashion, pitching five perfect innings before the Toros broke it with a one-out single in the sixth. Throwing 97 pitches, he struck out six batters and limited the Toros to two hits and an intentional walk. Ryan Silvers finished the game with three strikeouts and one hit and walk allowed.
 
The Wildcat offense racked up a season-high 16 hits, three of which were doubles recorded by Phoenix Casias and Troy Kent. Kent finished the game 3-for-4 with the pair of two-baggers and three RBIs. Casias also had a three-hit game and reached home three times.
 
Chico State scored the only run needed to win to win the game from the start. Thade Miller opened the finale with a base hit to center and reached third on Casias's single and a ground ball hit by Kent. Jeremy Keller hit into a fielding error that still allowed the leadoff man Miller to score.
 
The insurance run came in the third inning when Casias hit a leadoff single and scored all the way from first on Kent's double to left.
 
It remained 2-0 until the Wildcats piled up runs in the late innings, three in the seventh, one in the eighth and six unearned runs in the ninth.
 
Dominguez Hills' leadoff man and top player Trey Winget had been a pest to the Wildcat pitching until he faced Ibarra, who got the center fielder to strikeout swinging twice.