SAN BERNARDINO - Adam Arakawa notched his 100th career hit but it's safe to say he won't be doing any celebrating tonight after the Chico State baseball team absorbed a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Cal State San Bernardino Saturday, dropping the first game 10-4 and the second 8-5. Arakawa went 5-for-7 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored. His double in the seventh inning of game two was the 100th hit of his career.
Arakawa, who has 10 multi-hit games in the Wildcats’ last 11 outings and is off to a torrid start, batting .486, has been most pleased with his team’s early season success. Despite the two losses Saturday, the Wildcats are 14-5 overall and 10-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Cal State San Bernardino improved to 14-6 overall and 14-5 in the CCAA.
The Coyotes, ranked No. 12 in the nation and No. 2 in the West Region, jumped out to early leads in both games and then held off Chico State. They led 5-1 after the second inning of the first game and then withstood the Wildats’ bases-loaded no-out threat in the eighth before tacking on three runs in the bottom half of the inning to win going away.
In the nightcap, Cal State San Bernardino led 6-1 after two frames. The Wildcats scored twice in the fifth and two more times in the seventh, but were unable to climb all the way out of the hole.
Arakawa, Michael Murphy and Johnny Hay racked up two hits apiece for Chico State in the opener. Hay and Adrian Bringas drove in two runs apiece. Wildcats starter Kevin Brahney (1-1) absorbed the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits in just four innings.
Arakawa was 3-for-3 in the second game, and Jordan Larson and Kyle Leon notched two hits apiece. Kevin Seaver drove in three runs. Scott Nartker (1-2) took the loss, lasting just two-and-a-third innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits in his first start of the season.
Chico State will go for a series split in Sunday’s 11 a.m. finale.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE