CHICO, Calif. -- Marcus Wise knocked in the game-winning run in the 11th inning as the Cal State East Bay baseball team outlasted Chico State in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. The Wildcats erased a five-run deficit in game one and captured a 7-6 victory, giving the teams a dramatic split of the twinbill at Nettleton Stadium.

East Bay's starting pitching was outstanding and the offense racked up 23 total hits on the day. Ryan Kochan continued his remarkable hot streak, going 5-for-9 in the doubleheader. The reigning CCAA Player of the Week now has multiple hits in seven straight games, and he's batting .633 during that time.

Game 1 - Chico State 7, CSUEB 6

The Wildcats scored the first run of the day on a sacrifice fly in the first inning, but the Pioneers answered back in the second when Dakota Conners drove in Marcus Williams with a single.

Pioneer starter Jacob Phillips settled into a groove after that and put five straight zeroes on the scoreboard. The senior allowed just one hit and one walk through the first six innings.

In the top of the fifth, CSUEB rallied for four hits and a walk to push two runs across and take the lead. Rudy Navarro and Myles Babitt both knocked in runs with singles in the frame. 

Conners and Wise reached on back-to-back singles with one out in the next inning, and the middle of the order did damage once again to extend East Bay's advantage. Kochan drove a double into the right-center gap, and Navarro followed with a single up the middle to make it 6-1 Pioneers.

Chico State finally got to Phillips in the seventh, stringing together four hits and forcing head coach Bob Ralston to go to the bullpen. Julian Garcia retired two batters to get out of the inning, but not before the Wildcats scored twice. 

Garcia's luck wasn't as good in the eighth, as he allowed two walks and three singles to open the inning. Angel Lara came in with the bases loaded, no outs, and East Bay's lead down to 6-5. The left-hander got the next three hitters out, but a squeeze bunt tied the game for Chico.

The Pioneers didn't score in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the inning, the Wildcats had a bunt single and a sacrifice to put a runner on second, then Alex Michaels won the game with a single to right. 

Chico's six-run rally snapped a five-game winning streak for East Bay and spoiled a strong outing by Phillips, who was charged with two earned runs on five hits in 6.1 innings. 

The Pioneers out-hit their opponents 12-10 in the opening game, with Wise, Kochan, Navarro, Babitt, and Conners notching two hits each. Kochan and Navarro also drove in two runs apiece, and Williams finished with a hit, a walk, and a stolen base. 

Game 2 - CSUEB 2, Chico State 1 (11)

Falling victim to Chico's comeback in game one could have been demoralizing for the Pioneers, but they showed tremendous fortitude to bounce back and eke out an extra-inning win in the nightcap. 

Chris Porter belted a solo home run in the second inning to give East Bay an early lead in the scheduled seven-inning contest. It was the team-high fifth round-tripper of the year for Porter, who had a huge game going 3-for-4 with a double and a walk.

Freshman southpaw Alex Vesia mowed down the Wildcats through the first five innings before the home team finally broke through in the sixth. A single and a sacrifice bunt put a runner on second, then Conner Huesers came up with a two-out hit to tie the score 1-1. 

Neither squad scored for the next four innings as the game extended into extra frames. Vesia was brilliant, lasting 8.1 innings and allowing just the one run. He scattered five hits, walked one, and struck out five, while lowering his season ERA to a team-best 1.95. 

Right-hander Cole Compton relieved Vesia in the ninth and kept the score tied. In the 10th, Chico put two runners on with one out, but Conners got a ground ball double play to escape the jam.

Babitt led off the top of the 11th with a walk, then advanced to second when Ryan Wheat grounded out to third on an extremely close play. With two outs, Wise shot a single between shortstop and third to bring home Babitt and put the Pioneers ahead.

Compton worked the bottom of the 11th to finish off 2.2 scoreless innings and earn the victory. Navarro made a phenomenal diving catch in right field on a line drive for the first out, and he also secured the final out of the game on a deep fly ball just shy of the wall.

Kochan went 3-for-5 with a walk to lead an 11-hit performance by the East Bay offense. Navarro went 2-for-5 with a walk, and Devin Higgins had two hits and a stolen base off the bench.

The Pioneers (16-26, 13-22 CCAA) have now won nine of their last 12 games heading into Sunday's series finale against the Wildcats (18-24, 17-22 CCAA). First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.