ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – After dropping the first of a four game set on Friday, the Seawolves split Saturday's double-header, blowing away Chico State in game one of the double dip 12-5, before falling 8-3 in the night cap. With the Saturday split the Seawolves move to 5-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play
Game 1
Sonoma State opened the scoring in game one of the double-header with an RBI ground out in the top of the first off the bat of
Mitch West. Chico soon responded, plating two in the second, before the Seawolves tied things up again in the bottom of the frame 2-2, with a
Nicco Toni single through the left side.
Zach Guardino—who would go 4-for-5 in game one—came in to score on the play, marking the first of three runs scored by the right fielder.
After allowing the first two runs, Seawolf starter
Tyson Canfield locked in, only allowing one hit over the next three innings.
The Seawolves found their opportunity to break things open, putting three on the board in the third inning with four two-out hits.
Daniel Hawkins worked his way aboard with a double down the left-field line before Guardino drove in his teammate with an RBI single up the middle. After stealing second, Guardino scored on
Nathan Mann's single through the left side before Toni knocked in Mann with an RBI double, taking a 5-2 lead.
Sonoma State again struck in the fifth inning, putting a five-spot on the board to grow their lead to 10-2. With runners at first and second, Guardino hit a single to right, which appeared as if it would load the bases. However, Chico's right fielder misplayed the ball, which rolled all the way to the wall allowing the two lead runners to score and sending Guardino to second. Toni drove in another run two batters later with a single to left-center, before
Anthony Clyma plated the ninth run of the game with a base hit of his own. A fly-out to right and another error allowed the 10th Sonoma State run to come in and score.
Chico and the Seawolves each peppered a pair of runs to their totals in the final four frames as Sonoma State would go on to close out the 12-5 victory in three hours and seven minutes.
Game 2
In the night game of the double-header, the Seawolves struggled to keep runs off the board early and often as they allowed seven through the first four frames.
Jackson Berumen saw seven batters in the top of the first but limited the damage to just one additional run after facing a one-out bases-loaded jam.
Unfortunately, the Wildcats were just as potent in the top of the second as an RBI single and a wild pitch allowed another pair of runs, opening up a 4-0 lead on the hosts.
Joshua Montelongo made a splash with a towering home run to right to lead off the bottom of the second and pull within three but the Wildcats tacked a three-spot to the board in the fourth inning, pulling ahead 8-3 in the sixth.
Nathan Mann proved to be the only other bright spot on offense during game two, as the second baseman shot a single through the left side in the fifth, driving in two.
The Seawolves and Wildcats return to Seawolf Diamond tomorrow as Sonoma State looks to wrap up the four-game series with a 2-2 split. First pitch is at 12pm.
