In a doubleheader on Sunday at Nettleton Stadium, the Chico State Wildcats and the San Francisco State Gators battled it out, resulting in a series split in the first two games. 

Senior Kevin Lyons showcased his pitching in game one, holding the Gators to no hits over six innings, while the Wildcats clinched a 6-4 victory. However, the Gators carried momentum from the final innings of game one into game two, claiming an 8-5 win over the Wildcats.

“Lyons was great on the mound today. He made pitches when he had to and was able to locate his off-speed pitches,” assistant coach Mark Taylor said. “Kevin’s had a great start to his senior year and I’m excited to watch him build off it as we get going.”

Game one showed Lyons’ dominance on the mound, holding the Gators to a shutout for almost seven innings while tallying five strikeouts. The Wildcats capitalized on offensive opportunities, cracking on 13 hits throughout the game.

Chico State’s offense came alive in the third inning, which started with a leadoff single from sophomore Kaden Bass. A series of hits jumped the Wildcats to a 4-0 lead, with junior Phoenix Casias capitalizing on a fielding error to bring in a critical run. The Wildcats maintained their lead, adding two more runs in the sixth inning, due to some Gator errors.

The Gators fought back in the later innings, narrowing the gap to a two-run difference. But it would be junior Jeremy Keller’s stellar pitching performance that clinched the Wildcat’s win, despite a late-game surge from the Gators.

In game two, the Gators wasted no time taking an early lead with some good batting. Despite Chico State’s attempts to claw back, the Gator’s relentless offense proved too much to handle. 

Regardless of the split outcome, both teams showed promising performances. 

Chico State will look to bounce back in their next series against Stanislaus State in Turlock on March 8 at 6:00pm.

Nate Paddock can be reached at [email protected]. 

Tags: sports, baseball