Published 2013-05-16T16:40:00Z”/>
Dan Reidel
Cal State Monterey Bay knocked the Chico State baseball team out of the California Collegiate Athletic Association playoffs last week by beating the Wildcats 9-4. Senior Pierson Jeremiah didn’t let the Otters beat the ’Cats twice in a row.
Jeremiah knocked a grand slam over the left field wall in the third inning of the first round of the NCAA championship tournament. The four runs would have been enough for the win, but Jeremiah and the rest of the Wildcats put another 10 runs on the board for a 14-3 win.
The pitching staff played like it something to prove as well.
Senior pitcher Nick Baker threw seven innings and allowed just one earned run on two hits. A throwing error in the first inning scored a run for the Otters.
Senior reliever Sean Martin worked an inning of scoreless relief and sophomore right-hander Luke Barker gave up the third run for the Otters in the ninth on a two-out single to junior catcher Travis Bonner.
Three junior Wildcat players, right fielder Ryne Clark, catcher Jake Bailey and first baseman Eric Angerer had two hits in the game. Angerer also drove in two RBIs.
Jeremiah finished the game 4-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
Despite losing eight of their last ten games, including back-to-back losses in the CCAA tournament, the sixth-seeded Wildcats showed they can hang with No.1 seed Cal State Monterey Bay.
The next game will be another test for the Wildcats. They face Sonoma State next. The Seawolves made it to the conference championship game, but ultimately lost to Cal State L.A.
Sonoma State swept Chico State in a four-game series in April that culminated in a 5-0 loss for the Wildcats in the Capital City Clash, where the two rivals played a night game on the Sacramento River Cats’ diamond.
But if the pitching staff continues to throw like it did today, and the bats stay hot, the Wildcats have a chance to extend their NCAA tournament run.
Chico State will play Sonoma State at 9 p.m. Friday in St. George, Utah. Streaming game coverage is available through Dixie State’s website.
<em>Correction: The Orion reported that the Chico State Wildcats were to play Sonoma State Friday evening but actually played Dixie State.</em>
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<em>Dan Reidel can be reached at</em> <a href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>
