Masterful starting pitching from junior Rocco Borelli and a red-hot offensive performance, which tallied 14 hits including four extra-base hits, carried the Wildcats to their third straight win.
Despite picking up losses in his first two starts of the season, Borelli demonstrated impressive poise and control on the mound. He delivered solid outings in both appearances, pitching five innings and limiting opponents to just four earned runs. Unfortunately, a lack of run support prevented him from securing his first victory.
Borelli’s curveball gave the Colorado Mesa trouble as he struck out a season-high six batters in the victory while only yielding one run. On the contrary to his previous starts, the offense gave him breathing room by scoring three runs each in the third and fourth innings.
Head Coach Dave Taylor was thrilled with his team’s performance in the series opener after expressing the team’s need to pick up offensive production in the series-opening loss last weekend.
“That’s the best team we’ve faced all year, we handled them pretty good,” Taylor said. “We swung the bats well, Rocco was great for five so all around it was a great win for us.”
Leadoff hitter Thade Miller, who has started the season with a .500 batting average and a team-leading 9 runs scored, remained hot at the plate going 3-for-6 with two runs and an RBI.
The Wildcats jumped out to a five-run lead by the end of the fourth inning, fueled by timely hitting and clutch performances with runners in scoring position. Miller ignited the offense with a double to right-center in the third, and designated hitter Jeremy Keller provided a spark, driving in three runs with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate.
The Wildcats appeared to be cruising towards victory with a comfortable lead, but the sixth inning brought a sudden surge of drama. Mavericks leadoff hitter Paul Schoenfield launched a rocket off the top of the right field wall with the bases loaded, threatening to tie the game. Fortunately, the sheer force of Schoenfield’s hit limited him to a single, allowing the Wildcats to escape the inning with a 6-4 advantage.
After the scare in the 6th inning, the Wildcat’s bullpen was able to cruise through the final three innings to seal the first game of the three-game series.
The Wildcats will be back at Nettleton Stadium on Saturday to play the Mavericks in a doubleheader. The first pitch will be at noon and game two will take place at 3 p.m.
Home games are free for students who bring their student ID or show their Canvas home page.
For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports.
J.J. Fain can be reached at orionmanagingeditor@gmail.com.
