Box Score  CHICO, Calif.---  The 15^th ranked Chico State Wildcats defeated the visiting SF State Gaotrs 5-4 in the first game of this weekend's four-game CCAA series at Chico's Nettleton Stadium.  Ben Manlove was the hero as his RBI single to right field in the bottom of the ninth with one out drove in Shane Kroker for the game-winning run.

Chico State (9-2, 3-2 CCAA) took a 2-0 lead after two innings with runs in the bottom of the first and second innings. 

SF State Gators rallied back from the 2-0 deficit by scoring four runs in the third inning.  Devon King reached base as he was hit by a pitch.  He advanced to second on a sacrifice by AJ Almarez and scored on a Dustin Wold double after Sam Wilkins reached on an infield single.

The bases were laoded  when Ivan Otsuka was hit by a pitch.  AJ Pianto then tied the game for SF State with a two-run single that scored Wold and Wilkins.  The Gators took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Mark Lindsay. 

Chico State scored three runs in the fourth to take a 5-4 lead.  Blake Gibbs led off the inning with a walk and went to third after Blake Gibbs' single up the middle.  Gibbs scored on a fielding error by the Gators.  The Wildcats tied the game when Webber scored on Jordan Beck ground out.  They took the lead when Eric Angerer scored on another error by the Gators after reaching on a fielder's choice. 

SF State tied the game in the sixth. Lindsay reached base on a lead-off single then AJ Almarez's reached base on a fielder's choice which scored Mark Lindsay. 

Ben Manlove's drove in the game-winning run with one out with a single to right field that scored Shane Kroker in the bottom of the ninth. 

Beck walked to lead off the inning.  Kroker came in to pinch run for him and went to second on a sacrifice and scored on Manlove's single.

Sean Martin (2-1) picked up the win in relief pitching a scoreless ninth and giving up just one hit.   Eric Angerer and Manlove each had two hits apiece to lead the Wildcat offense.

Peter Reyes (1-1) recorded the loss for the Gators.  He pitched 1.1 innings of relief, giving up one hit and one run while striking out one and walking two.  Dustin Wold finished the day 3-for-4 with a run scored while Pianto drove in two runs.  Wilkins also had two hits for the Gators (4-5, 3-2 CCAA).

The two teams will continue the four-game series tomorrow afternoon at noon for a doubleheader at Chico's Nettleton Stadium.  The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday at 11am also in Chico.

Box Score