Box Score

TURLOCK — Kory Vitato's bouncer over the third baseman scored Zach Cadet in the bottom of the 13th inning as Cal State Stanislaus won a wild and entertaining affair over Sonoma State, 10-9, to open the four-game series.

The game was part of the scheduled doubleheader of two nine-inning games on Saturday, however, the lengthy contest ended too late to start game two. The teams will now play two in Rohnert Park, as scheduled, before completing the four-game set back here in Turlock on Monday for a 3 p.m. start.

With the win, the Warriors improved their record to 18-9 overall and 12-9 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Stanislaus is now 15-6 when playing at Warrior Baseball Field this season. Sonoma State, the 19th ranked team in the nation, falls to 18-7 overall and 11-7 in conference play.

Cal State Stanislaus again was locked in an extra-inning battle but this time there were plenty of scoring. Warrior starter Andrew Stueve was uncharacteristically tagged for four runs in the first inning, which included a two-run homer by O'Koyea Dickson.

The Warriors, though, got three of those runs back in the home half of the first with the aid of a couple of hits and three Sonoma errors. Joe Medeiros highlighted the inning with a two-run single to right.

A see-saw battle ensued with neither team leading by two or more runs. In the Sonoma eighth, the Seawolves took a 9-8 lead on a run scoring infield single by Kyle Jones. Trying to get a force out a second, CSUS second baseman Colton Beatty's wild throw ended was picked up by third baseman Vince Hungerford, who gunned down Cameron Cook at the plate when Sonoma tried to score two runs on the play.

Stanislaus would tie the game up in the eighth needing just one hit. Ross Gonsalves drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a bunt and scored on a Beatty single to right.

Gonsalves then made the defensive play of the game to give the Warriors a chance in extra innings.

To leadoff the SSU 11th, Jones reached on a fielding error and advanced to second on a groundout. Then, with two outs, pinch hitter Kevin Cramer's grounder in the hole between short and third was picked up by Gonsalves. Gonsalves faked a throw to first and nailed Jones at the plate trying to score from second.

After some heated exchanges at the plate after that play, Warriors reliever Leonard Giammanco pitched two perfect innings to set up the final drama in the 13th.

With one out, Cadet double to left-center and went to third when Sonoma's Steven Filippi bobbled the ball. Vitato then came up with the big hit. He took the first pitch from Brian Bordagaray and bounced it over the third baseman's head to score the winner.

In the end, 19 runs were scored on 29 hits and nine defensive errors. Stanislaus used five pitchers with the bullpen giving up just one run on five hits in 8 2/3 innings of work.

Cadet and David Contreras each had three hits. Joe Medeiros, Beatty and Contreras each drove in two runs and Gonsalves, who went 2-for-5, extended  his hitting streak to eight games.

Jones led Sonoma State with a 3-for-6, two RBI and two-run day.