SAN FRANCISCO – Starting pitchers
Pat Haugen (Cayucos, Calif., Cuesta College) and
Kevin Dultz (Altadena, Calif., Glendale CC) each tossed complete games on Sunday, leading the San Francisco State baseball team to a pair of victories over eighth-ranked Chico State in a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader at Maloney Field.
Haugen (6-1) tied a career high with 10 strikeouts in the opener as the Gators emerged with a 6-1 triumph, while Dultz (3-1) tossed his first collegiate shutout in a 5-0 blanking of the Wildcats in the nightcap.
With the sweep, SF State surpassed its win total from a year ago, improving to 15-18 overall and 8-12 in the CCAA, while Chico State slips to 20-10 on the season and 15-9 in league action.
The Wildcats grabbed an early 1-0 advantage in game one as Kevin Seaver doubled in Adam Arakawa in the top of the first inning; however, the Gators answered in the bottom of the frame when
Nick Nyman (Susanville, Calif., Lassen College) raced home on
Ryan Williams' (Woodland, Calif., Yuba College) sacrifice fly to shallow right field.
SF State seized the momentum in the second, putting up three markers to take the lead for good at 4-1.
Nick Bowerman (Oakley, Calif., Mount Mercy College) led off with a triple and scored moments later on
Tyler Overstreet's (Fresno, Calif., Santa Barbara CC) grounder, which was mishandled by Chico State third baseman Hunter Buckmore. Safely aboard on the error, Overstreet advanced to second on a
Ben Mielke (Arcata, Calif., Shasta College) single and soon crossed the plate on
Drew Andersen's (Gilroy, Calif., William Penn Univ.) base hit up the middle. Nyman then followed with another single to plate Mielke.
Andersen also added an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, while Dultz scored from third when Bowerman reached safely on a fielder's choice in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Haugen went the distance, giving up six hits and three walks en route to the victory, while fanning 10 batters for the fourth time in his career. With his performance, Haugen has 78 strikeouts for the year, which now ranks third on the school's single-season list. Conversely, Wildcat starter Casey Edelbrock (2-2) took the loss after yielding five runs on nine hits and one walk in six innings.
In game two, Dultz moved from behind the plate to the mound, where he allowed just three hits and three walks over seven innings to pick up the win.
The Gators got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first as Nyman and Dultz hit back-to-back doubles, while Williams followed with an RBI single up the middle, giving the host school a 2-0 edge.
Chico State threatened in the top of the sixth when Jordan Larson led off with a single and Deven Braden followed with a walk. Then Michael Murphy hit a long fly ball to right field corner where Bowerman's diving attempt came up just short. However, Larson and Braden advanced just one base, unsure of whether Bowerman made the catch or not. Meanwhile, Murphy was forced to retreat back to first, but was tagged out on Nyman's relay throw to Williams. Dultz then struck out Arakawa and induced a groundout by Seaver to get out of the huge jam.
Spurred by its good fortune, SF State added some insurance in the bottom of the stanza as Matt Quintero roped a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left for his first homer as a Gator, which plated Overstreet and
Sean Proni (Valencia, Calif., College of Marin).
The Wildcats' game-two starter Ian Waldron (4-1) lost for the first time this year after giving up two runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Andersen went a combined 4-for-8 with two RBI in the twin bill, while Bowerman and Proni finished the day with three hits apiece for the victors.
The Gators will return to action on Thursday, April 1, with a single game at Cal State Stanislaus to kick off a four-game set with the Warriors. The two teams will switch sites for a doubleheader on Friday at SF State's Maloney Field, beginning at noon, before returning to Turlock for another single contest on Saturday.
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
