SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stan State split strong stretches across Saturday's CCAA doubleheader at Cal State San Bernardino, taking an early lead in the opener and nearly completing a late comeback in game two, but fell 7-2 and 9-8 at Fiscalini Field.
The Warriors move to 16-20 overall and 7-12 in CCAA play, while CSUSB improves to 19-17 overall and 11-8 in conference action.
In game one, Stan State grabbed an early lead but couldn't recover from a big inning by the Coyotes in a 7-2 loss.
The Warriors struck first in the opening inning as
Kian Sanchez delivered an RBI single to score Art Navarette Jr. Stan State added another run in the second on a solo home run by
Eric Perez to tie the game at 2-2.
CSUSB responded with a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the second to take a 3-2 lead, then broke the game open in the fifth. The Coyotes scored four runs on four hits, taking advantage of two Warrior errors to extend the lead to 7-2.
Stan State finished with eight hits, including doubles from Navarette,
Chris Ortiz, and
AJ Carter.
Zach Lewis led the way with a pair of hits, while Perez accounted for both runs with his home run and RBI.
Ivan Rodriguez (3-2) earned the win for CSUSB, tossing seven innings while allowing two runs on seven hits.
Rocco Gurrola (1-3) took the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) over 4.2 innings.
Eli Blurton provided strong relief, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings.
In game two, Stan State nearly erased a large deficit but fell just short in a 9-8 loss.
The Warriors jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double from
Chase Wilson.
CSUSB answered with an eight-run third inning to take control. Garret Barto launched a three-run home run before Keedan Nadeau added a three-run shot later in the inning as the Coyotes built an 8-3 advantage. Stan State responded in the sixth inning, scoring four runs to get back into the game.
Chris Ortiz sparked the rally with a two-run home run, and Wilson followed with a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 9-7.
The Warriors added another run in the seventh to make it 9-8 and brought the tying run aboard, but were unable to complete the comeback.
Stan State totaled 11 hits in the nightcap.
Korey Likens had two hits and an RBI, while Wilson drove in four runs and Ortiz added two RBIs.
Kailer Saunders (5-2) earned the win for the Coyotes, allowing seven runs over 5.2 innings.
Payton Hawkinson (1-4) took the loss after allowing eight runs in 2.2 innings.
Evan Fanconi was effective out of the bullpen, giving up just one run over 3.1 innings.
Warrior Notables
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Chase Wilson drove in four runs in game two, highlighted by a two-run double and a two-run home run.
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Chris Ortiz homered and drove in two runs in the nightcap after doubling in game one.
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Eric Perez recorded a home run in game one and now leads the team with four on the season.
• Wilson and Ortiz each now have two home runs on the year.
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Zach Lewis tallied three hits across the doubleheader.
•
Eli Blurton threw 3.1 scoreless innings in relief in game one.
•
Evan Fanconi allowed one run on three hits over 3.1 innings with two strikeouts in relief in game two.
CCAA Standings
Cal Poly Pomona leads the CCAA at 15-8, followed closely by Cal State Monterey Bay at 13-7. Cal State San Bernardino sits third at 11-8, while Cal State LA is fourth at 13-11. Cal State San Marcos holds a 10-10 mark, with Cal State East Bay just behind at 9-10. Chico State is seventh at 8-12, followed by Stan State at 7-12, and Cal State Dominguez Hills rounds out the standings at 8-16.
The top five teams will qualify for the CCAA Baseball Tournament, scheduled for May 6-9 in San Bernardino, with the regular season set to conclude on May 2. Cal Poly Pomona hosts Cal State East Bay in its series finale on Saturday, while Stan State's matchup at Cal State San Bernardino on Sunday will be the lone CCAA game of the day.
Up Next
Stan State will look to salvage the series on Sunday, April 12 at 1:00 p.m. in the finale at Cal State San Bernardino. The game will be played at Fiscalini Field with live stats and streaming available on FloCollege.
The Warriors return home next weekend to host Chico State in a four-game CCAA series at Warrior Baseball Field, marking the beginning of an eight-game homestand. The series begins Friday, April 17 at 6:00 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and concludes Sunday, April 19 at 12:00 p.m. All games will feature live stats, streaming on FloCollege, and radio coverage on Blue Chip Broadcasting.
