Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN FRANCISCO – SF State had two rallies fall short in each of this afternoon's doubleheader fall short as the #10 Chico State Wildcats swept the two games 5-2 and 3-2 to take a 3-0 lead in this weekend's four-game series.  The series will end with a single nine-inning game tomorrow morning at Maloney Field with first pitch scheduled for 11am.
 
In the opener, the game was scoreless as both starting pitchers Chico State's Troy Neiman and the Gators' Jack Veronin did not give up a run in the first three innings.
 
Chico State took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning as Austin Prott had a one-out double to right center and scored on a two-out single by Cody Webber.  Webber took second on the throw home and scored on a two-out single by Myles Dempsey.
 
The Wildcats added three more runs in the seventh to take a 5-0 lead.
 
SF State (10-21, 7-16 CCAA) came alive in the ninth but it was a little too late.  Miguel Flores, who went 2-for-4, had a lead-off single and went to second on a two-out infield single by Grady Espinosa, who finished the game 3-for-4.  Then with two outs, Randy Villa hit a 1-0 pitch down the left field line for a two-out two-run double which scored both Flores and Espinosa to cut the Wildcat lead to 5-2.  Chico State's reliever, Steven Swift, induced the last Gator batter to ground out to short to preserve the 5-2 Wildcat win.
 
Troy Neiman (4-2) picked up the win, pitching 7 scoreless innings, giving up five hits and striking out four.  Sean Martin pitched a scoreless eighth and Swift pitched the final inning, giving up three hits and two runs and striking out one.
 
Jack Veronin (1-3) recorded the loss for the Gators.  He went 6.2 innings, giving up 10 hits and five runs while striking out one.  Jack Jorgensen pitched 0.1 innings while giving up two hits and Eric Watts pitched two scoreless innings of relief, giving up two hits and striking out two.
 
Chico State had 14 hits with Roger Boulden's four hits leading the way for the Wildcats.
 
The Wildcats (22-5, 15-5 CCAA) took a 1-0 lead in the night cap in the top of the second inning.  Webber walked with one out and came around to score on a triple to right center by Dempsey. 
 
They added two insurance runs in their half of the fourth inning.  Webber and Dempsey had back-to-back one-out singles.  They scored on a two-run double to left field by Boulden to increase the visitors' lead to 3-0.
 
Chico State's Mike Botelho had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning when Mark Lindsay hit a two-out single to center field on the first pitch he saw.  AJ Pianto then was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.  Jordan Mullins loaded the bases with an infield single.  Still with two outs, AJ Almaraz walked to bring in Lindsay and cut the Wildcat lead to 3-1.  Botelho induced the next Gator batter to ground out to end the inning.
 
The Gators added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning.  With two outs, Justin Lamb had an infield single and scored on a triple by Espinosa to cut the deficit to 3-2.  Martin, who came on to relieve Botelho at the beginning of the bottom of the sixth, got the next SF State batter to ground out as the Wildcats took a 3-2 lead heading into the final inning.
 
Chris Rodriguez came in to pitch the final inning.  Pianto walked to lead-off the inning.  Rodriguez struck out the next two batters and then Jake Bailey threw out the final Gator on an attempted steal at second as the Wildcats took the 3-2 victory.
 
Botelho (3-1) pitched five innings en route to the win, he gave up two hits and a run, striking out two and walking one.  Martin pitched the sixth innings, giving up two this and a run.  Rodriguez pitched the final inning en route to his third save as he walked one and struck out two.
 
Dempsey had three hits and Boulden had two to lead the Wildcat hitting attack in the night cap.
 
Four different Gators had a hit apiece in Lamb, Espinosa, Lindsay and Mullins.

Box Score Game One

Box Score Game Two