Baseball | 2/6/2009 9:47:46 PM
Box Score [Box score]
CHICO, Calif. - Bret Ringer hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift No. 7 Chico State to a 13-9 victory over the Western Oregon baseball team in the season-opener for both teams, Friday, Feb. 6.
Chico State was up 3-1 after three innings, but in the top of the fourth Western Oregon exploded for five runs. After Kyle Boe, Andrew Reid and Justin Speer led off the inning with singles, Taylor Mieras struck out then Griffin Boyd brought Boe in with a sacrifice fly to right field. Starting shortstop and No. 9 hitter Justin Thornton then stepped into the batter's box with two on and two out and delivered a three-run home run to put the Wolves up 6-3.
The Wildcats answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth before the Wolves added to the lead with a Speer solo home run in the top of the fifth. Chico State would continue to chip away and would take an 8-7 lead going into the top of the ninth.
Down one, the Wolves rallied with two runs in the ninth to take a 9-8 lead. With one out, Thorton doubled and Travis Fox singled him in to tie the game. Fox was then sacrificed over to second base and Jason Moseby delivered with the two-out hit to give the Wolves the lead.
Chico State tied the game up in the bottom of the ninth on a walk by Cody Dee and an infield single by Kyle Eveland.
The game then remained tied until Ringer's grand slam.
"I was very impressed with our hitters and the way they were able to keep there focus to come back in that game," said head coach Jeremiah Robbins. "In the 11th things just slipped away and you can't do that against a very good team like Chico."
The Wolves were in the game despite being outhit 20 to 12 and the Wildcats receiving six base-on-balls to the Wolves zero. Fox, batting in the leadoff spot, lead the way with three hits. Other Western Oregon players collecting multiple hits included Eric Renander (2), Reid (2), Speer (2), Boyd (2) and Griffin (2).
Rust showed early on in the pitching as Western Oregon starter Blake Keitzman gave up five earned runs and 11 hits in four innings of work. On the other side Chico State starter Pete Mickartz was hit tagged for seven runs and 11 hits in five innings.
The Western Oregon baseball team will continue its series with Chico State Saturday, Feb. 7, with a doubleheader beginning at noon. It will then face Chico State Sunday, Feb. 8, at noon in the series finale.
Score by Innings R H E
----------------------------------------------
Western Oregon...... 001 510 002 00 - 9 15 2
Chico State......... 201 200 211 04 - 13 20 0
---------------------------------------------
Win - SAVE (1-0). Loss - Morris (0-1). Save - None.
2B - Fox(1);
Thornton(1); RINGER(1); VICTOR(1); MILLS(1); ARAKAWA(1); BRADEN(1). 3B - DODOS(1). HR - Speer(1); Thornton(1); RINGER(1).
Western Oregon IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Keitzman,Blake...... 4.0 11 5 5 1 4 21 23
Nunley,Jesse........ 2.1 5 2 2 1 0 12 13
Bobnick,Greg........ 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Phillips,Rye........ 1.1 2 1 1 0 0 6 6
Lynch,Chad.......... 1.0 1 1 1 2 1 3 6
Morris,Nick......... 1.1 1 4 3 2 2 5 8
Chico State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
MICKARTZ, Pete...... 5.0 11 7 7 0 2 23 25
WALDRON, Ian........ 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 9 9
PLUTA, Andrew....... 0.2 3 2 2 0 0 4 5
SAVE, Bryan......... 2.1 1 0 0 0 1 7 7
