CHICO, Calif. – The Chico State baseball team had to play catchup in the ninth and 10^th innings but couldn't find a way to keep the game going in the 11^th as the Golden Eagles tagged in five runs in that frame to complete a 14-9 CCAA series-opening win over the No. 19 Wildcats at windy Nettleton Stadium Thursday night.
 
The loss drops Chico State to 23-15 overall and 16-13 (.552) in the CCAA while Cal State LA moves up to 21-18 overall and 18-11 (.621) in conference play. The setback also drops the Wildcats to sixth place after Cal State San Marcos beat Cal State Monterey Bay in Seaside.
 
Trailing 6-4 and down to their final strike in the ninth inning, the Wildcats got a miracle from the Nettleton winds as Jeremy Keller hit a flyball that dropped in shallow center field while the Golden Eagles' outfielders played deep toward the warning track. Keller's double knocked in Thade Miller and Phoenix Casias to tie the game a six.
 
Cal State LA picked up three RBIs in the 10^th inning on a fly ball to deep center field to reclaim the lead, 9-6. Chico State got the second miracle in its half of the inning when Casias hit a two-out, 2-2 count to shallow left field that was dropped despite an effort by the Golden Eagles' left fielder on the attempt to end the game. The single was enough for Brady Wright to score in the tying run to keep the game going again.
 
The 11^th inning, once again, saw the Golden Eagles bat through the order and compile five runs, four earned. The Wildcats had runners at the corners with two out but could not match the momentum the Golden Eagles had in their half of the innings.
 
Friday's night game belonged to the bats as the Golden Eagles racked up 16 hits while the Wildcats had a dozen. The top four batters in the Wildcats lineup each had two hits, including the two-run game-saving double by Keller in the ninth. Michael Baker also had a two-RBI double in the fourth inning that put the Wildcats up front for the first time in the fourth inning.
 
Evan Tomlinson made it through five innings giving up one earned run before turning it over to the bullpen. Cal State LA's Isaac Quintero lasted three innings before he got pulled following Baker's double.
 
The Wildcats and Golden Eagles will play the 9/7-inning doubleheader Friday with game one beginning at 1 p.m.