Chico State Athletics

CHICO, Calif. – Adam Fonville doubled to left field to drive home Jacob Thelen with the winning run and lift Cal State Stanislaus to a 6-5, 10-inning victory over UC San Diego in an elimination game of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament Friday afternoon at Nettleton Stadium in Chico.

The Warriors (37-20) will return to action later today to play the loser of the Sonoma State-Chico State game at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to Saturday’s championship game. Sonoma State and Chico State are scheduled to meet later this afternoon.

UC San Diego, the West Region’s top-ranked team, dropped to 41-16 on the season.

Fonville’s heroics capped a day in which Cal State Stanislaus rallied from a 4-0 deficit and took a 5-4 lead only to see the Tritons tie the score with two outs in the ninth.

Eric Frederico (6-5) pitched a scoreless top of the 10th after the Warriors received 5 2/3 solid innings of relief from senior right-hander Andrew DeMott.

A second team All-CCAA selection, DeMott allowed five hits, one run, walked one and struck out four.

DeMott appeared to be on his way to a victory as he retired the first batter of the ninth inning a ground ball. After allowing a single to Michael Benton, DeMott induced Tony Bonnelli to hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play to second base.

However, Jake Oketani had trouble handling the ground ball and his only play was to first base, allowing pinch-runner Ryland MacFadyen to move into scoring position. Pinch-hitter Chris Hom followed and lined a single into right field to score MacFadyen with the tying run.

Entering his fourth inning of relief, UC San Diego right-hander Tim Shibuya, surrendered a leadoff single Jacob Thelen, setting the stage for Fonville’s game-winning hit.

Shibuya (7-2), the CCAA’s Freshman of the Year, suffered the loss after pitching 3 2/3 innings, allowing six hits, four runs and striking out six.

Thelen’s run-scoring single in the seventh inning capped a three-run inning that saw Cal State Stanislaus take a 5-4 lead.

UC San Diego jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Cal State Stanislaus starter Andrew Stueve, scoring two runs in second and fourth innings.

Michael Benton gave the Tritons a 2-0 lead in the second with a two-run double and Garrett Imeson increased the advantage to 4-0 with a two-run home run to left-center field in the fourth.

The Warrios got a run back in the bottom of the fourth on a leadoff home to right field by Oketani.

Cal State Stanislaus cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fifth on an RBI single to right field by Kyle Loretelli that scored Jeff Hughes, who opened the inning with a double.

Oketani and Thelen led the Warriors’ 14-hit attack with three hits apiece. Oketani also had a pair of RBI and scored twice.

Vance Albitz and Benton collected three hits each to lead the Tritons.