CHICO, Calif. - In an attempt to stay ahead of potential inclement weather, Cal State East Bay baseball took on No. 11 Chico State one evening earlier than originally scheduled. On Thursday evening at Nettleton Stadium, the Pioneers opened the four-game CCAA series with Chico State with a 7-1 victory.
The Wildcats took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an infield RBI single hit by Daniel Vierra.
In the top of the second inning, Gio Martini and Jaylen Hodges were in scoring position when Dominick Najar delivered a single to drive both runners to the plate to give East Bay a 2-1 lead.
The Pioneer run count doubled in the top of the third when Aidan Morton hit an RBI double, and following the double, Martini drove in Morton with an RBI single as East Bay led 4-1.
East Bay added one more run each in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Morton hit an RBI single in the fifth, Nick Thomson was awarded home plate on a balk in the sixth and Luke Brown scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.
The pitching combination of Jackson Ellis and Caleb Schaeffer shut out the Wildcats in the final eight innings toward a 7-1 win.
- Ellis picked up the win on the mound with 5.0 innings pitched allowing one run and striking out three.
- Pitching 4.0 innings for the save was Schaeffer who struck out seven batters faced and did not allow a hit as a reliever.
- Morton went 4-for-5 from the plate with two RBIs and a run scored. He is currently on a seven game hitting streak. Two of his hits on Thursday were doubles.
- Brown and Najar each had a pair of hits in the game.
- Najar had three stolen bases on Thursday.
Cal State East Bay: 9-10, 5-4 CCAA
No. 11 Chico State: 15-7, 8-5 CCAA
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
The Pioneers and Wildcats meet on Friday at 6 p.m. for the second game of the four-game CCAA series at Nettleton Stadium.
