TURLOCK – A lot has been made this season of the Chico State baseball team’s potent offense – entering game two of their four-game set with Cal State Stanislaus, the Wildcats had averaged just under 11 runs and more than 13 hits a contest, and had scored 10 or more runs in a game 11 times. But Saturday it would be the host Warriors who ruled the day offensively, pounding out 21 hits against four Chico State pitchers en route to an 18-5 victory over the Wildcats, evening the series at a win apiece.
Saturday’s loss dropped the Wildcats to 16-6 on the season and 12-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State Stanislaus improved to 11-12 overall and 7-7 in conference play.
Kevin Seaver’s RBI double in the top of the first inning gave Chico State a 1-0 lead, but Stanislaus would quickly knot things up with a run in its half of the first. The Warriors knocked Wildcats starting pitcher Jordan Lindebaum out of the game in the second inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring seven times in the frame. Michael Johnson got things started with a two-run homer, and following a sacrifice fly and RBI single by Andrew Graves to put Stanislaus up 5-1, Alex Zanini, Jr. delivered a bases-loaded triple off Chico State reliever Phillip Hymas to drive in three more and extend the Warriors’ lead to 8-1.
The Warriors continued to pile up the runs, scoring three times in the third inning, twice in the fourth on Johnson’s second round-tripper of the day, and twice in the fifth on a two-run single by Johnson to give Stanislaus a huge 15-1 lead. Chico State chipped away, scoring twice in the top of the sixth inning on a Michael Murphy solo homer and an RBI double by Travis Kruger, then adding two more in the seventh on run-scoring singles by Seaver and Tony Hernandez. But the Warriors put an end to any thought of a late-inning Wildcat comeback by scoring twice in the seventh and once in the eighth against reliever Brian Fowler, and Cal State Stanislaus cruised to the 18-5 victory.
Chico State collected 11 hits in the losing effort, with Murphy, Seaver and Jordan Larson notching two apiece. Johnson, who had just seven at-bats for Cal State Stanislaus before Saturday, finished his career day with a 5-for-6 stat line, including two homers, six RBI and four runs scored. Seven other players posted multi-hit games for the victorious Warriors.
BOX SCORE
The series shifts to Chico’s Nettleton Stadium Sunday, where the Wildcats and Warriors will square off in doubleheader action beginning at noon. Hear all the action with Mitch Cox calling the play-by-play on ESPN 101.7 and 1340 AM locally, or on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website.