SAN FRANCISCO— For the second straight day, the No. 6 Chico State Wildcats rallied back from a deficit to defeat the SF State Gators in a CCAA game at SF State's Maloney Field. This time, the Wildcats scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning after being down 2-0 for most of the game to defeat SF State 3-2. With the win, Chico State improves to 16-3 overall and 10-2 in the CCAA and won its fifth straight game.

The Gators took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as Michael Sanchez opened up the inning reaching first on a hit batsman. He advanced to second on Matt Quintero's single through the left side. Still with no one out, Ian Fregosi advanced both runners a base on a sacrifice bunt. With the count 1-2, Tyler Tulowitzki hit ball through the right side to drive in both Sanchez and Quintero with the game's first run.

Branden Petrangelo (2-4) held the Wildcats at bay until the top of the eighth inning. TJ Yasuhara led off the eighth with a single to left field, but was out at second on a fielder's choice by Ben Manlove. Cody Foster then hit a single through the left side to advance Manlove to second. Still with one out, Shane Kroker reached on a fielder's choice on a ball hit deep to short which all the runners were ruled safe. With one out and the bases loaded, Brian Dea came in to pitch for the Gators. He induced the next Wildcat batter to fly out to left field.

Manlove then scored on a wild pitch to cut the Gator lead in half with two outs. SF State then intentionally walked Adrian Bringas to load the bases for Matt Anderson, who then hit a two-out two-run single to drive in Foster with the tying run and Kroker with the go-ahead run.

SF State (8-15, 3-13 CCAA) had runners on first and third with two outs, but Brian Buckham (2-2) got Michael Sanchez hit a liner to TJ Yasuhara at short.

The Gators had one more chance in the bottom of the ninth as Tulowitzki hit a single with two outs to left field off of the Wildcats' Juan Guerra. Chris Schindler then pinch ran for Tulowitzki and advanced to second on a pinch hit single up the middle by Nic Gauldin. Ben Mielke then walked to load the bases. Guerra struck out the final Gator batter on three pitches to preserve the 3-2 Wildcat win and his seventh save of the season.

Buckham picked up the win as he pitched three innings of scoreless relief, giving up one hit, walking one and striking out two. Guerra pitched the final inning, giving up two hits, walking one and striking out two.

Michael Schultz had two hits of the Wildcats' seven hits while Anderson drove in two runs for the nationally ranked Wildcats.

Tulowitzki finished the day 3-for-3 for the Gator with two RBIs; his first multiple hit game of the year. Petrangelo recorded the loss, pitching 7.1 innings, giving up five hits and three runs while striking out three. 

SF State will return to the diamond this Tuesday, March 29 at 11am for a CCAA doubleheader with Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif.

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