BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 GAME 1:  #6 Chico State 7, Sonoma State 3 -- Box Score
GAME 2:  Sonoma State 4, #6 Chico State 2 -- Box Score

ROHNERT PARK -- After dropping a 7-3 decision in the opener on Saturday at Seawolf Diamond, the Sonoma State baseball team rallied for a 4-2 victory in game two over sixth-ranked Chico State to set the stage for what is about to be the most anticipated game in the storied history of the Sonoma-Chico rivalry -- the Capital City Clash, or the "Clash for the Crown", at Raley Field in Sacramento.  A victory by the Seawolves (26-14, 23-8 CCAA) on Sunday would clinch the CCAA's regular season title, but the Wildcats (37-10, 29-9 CCAA) could also take home the regular season title with a victory.

Sunday's first pitch at Raley Field – home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats – is scheduled for 1:00 pm. Tickets are $15 and will be available at the stadium beginning at approximately 11:45 am.  That same ticket will also be good for a Sacramento River Cats game this season.

In the opener, it was all Chico State as the visitors racked up 16 hits off of four Sonoma State pitchers and led 7-0 through the first eight and a half innings.  The Seawolf offense was stymied by the outstanding effort of Wildcats ace Nick Baker (9-1), who went eight innings and allowed no runs on just five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
 
It wasn't until the bottom of the ninth when SSU was able to get something going against Chico.  With a new pitcher on the mound, the Seawolves got back-to-back-to-back base hits to lead off the frame – singles by Jourdan Weiks and Cory Hearne before Jackson Stogner brought them home with a double down the right field line.  It chased reliever Matt Hutchins from the ballgame, who was unable to record an out.  Alex Mistuloff came on in relief and threw a wild pitch to allow Stogner to get to third before Eric Ehlow lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, cutting the Chico State lead to four at 7-3.  However, Mistuloff was able to get Alex Crosby to groundout and eventhough Dallas Seidel reached on a two-out single, he was thrown out on a stolen base attempt at second to end the game.
 
The Wildcats struck for a run early, just 14 pitches in, when Peter Miller singled home Ryne Clark for the 1-0 lead.  Three more runs scored in the top of the third inning, followed by another run in the fifth for a 5-0 Chico lead.  A couple more runs crossed the plate in the eighth to all but secure the Wildcat victory.
 
Stogner went 2 for 4 with his RBI double in the ninth inning, Weiks also went 2 for 4 with a run scored.  Jon Richards (5-2) was tagged with the loss after working the first three and a thirds innings; he gave up four runs onseven hits and one walk, striking out one.
 
Every hitter in the Chico State lineup had a base hit and five different Wildcats had two each.  The 16 hits given up by Sonoma State pitching was a season-high for the SSU staff.

In the nightcap, Justin Serrao would play the role of hero as he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and delivered a two-run, go-ahead double to put the Seawolves up 4-2.  It would be enough as SSU reliever Aaron Gillis shut down the Chico lineup the rest of the way to improve to 2-2 this season.  Gillis allowed just two hits in the final three and a thirds innings after taking over for starter Haydon Turpin.

The Seawolves did, however, draw first blood in the contest with an RBI single by Devin Alexander in the bottom of the second inning.  The lead disappeared shortly thereafter, thanks to a two-run third inning by the Wildcats to take a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Cory Hearne brought home Alex Crosby with an RBI single through the right side to knot the game at two apiece, setting up Serrao's at bat in the fifth.

Ehlow went 2 for 3 with two runs scored in the ballgame while five others recorded a hit for SSU, including the run-scoring base hits by Alexander, Hearne and Serrao.

Chico's Robert Hook (6-1) was tagged with his first loss of the year as he replaced starter Brad Lohse in the fifth and allowed the go-ahead runs to score.  Clark had three of the five hits for the Wildcats in game two.

The regular season will commence on Sunday with the Capital City Clash at Raley Field in Sacramento; first pitch is set for 1:00 pm.