Published 2013-02-20T13:25:00Z”/>
Emily Duran
The Chico State baseball team made history Feb. 9 when seniors Troy Neiman and Chris Rodriguez threw the program’s first no-hitter. Only three players reached base for the opposing team, the Academy of Art University Urban Knights, two on passed balls, where the catcher misses the pitch, and one on an error by shortstop Kenny Corona.
Neiman pitched six innings for the Wildcats, tallying eight strike outs. The hopes of a perfect game ended when an error was committed in the fourth. Neiman struck out the side in the fifth and sixth innings.
After a 10-run seventh inning for the Wildcats, Rodriguez took the mound in the bottom of the seventh.
“I felt nervous,” Rodriguez said. “But I just took the time to compose myself. I wanted to stay calm and didn’t want my emotions to get the best of me.”
Rodriguez entered the game three outs away from the no-hitter.
“My team really helps,” he said. “I can pitch and my defense is going to help me out. The offense will give me a lead. I always feel confident because of the team I play on.”
The first batter struck out swinging, but reached base on a passed ball. The Wildcats got the first out of the inning with a strike out and the second on a ground ball. The Wildcats clinched the win and the no-hitter when Rodriguez’s next opponent went down swinging for the final out.
Six one-hitters have been pitched in Chico State’s history, the most recent in 2010. The Wildcats’ success has continued into the games following the no-hitter. The team is 8-0 overall and 4-0 after its first weekend of conference play.
“It feels good,” Neiman said. “One of the best things about it is throwing it with Chris. In 20 years I’m going to be happy to talk about it and share it with him.”
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<strong>Emily Duran can be reached at</strong> <a href=”mailto:[email protected]”><em>[email protected]</em></a>
