Chico State Advances to Winner's Bracket

Chico, Calif.--The Chico State Wildcats scored 12 runs on 17 hits en route to a 12-4 win over the No. 2 seed Sonoma State Cossacks in the first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional.

Chico (44-17), the No. 3 seed, will face No. 1 Mesa State of Grand Junction, Colorado, on Friday in the winner's bracket contest, beginning at 3 p.m. Sonoma (38-25) squares off against Fort Hays, out of Hays, Kansas, in the first elimination game of the tournament at 11 a.m. Mesa beat Fort Hays 18-6 in the early game today.

Chico's designated hitter Derek Cordell drove in Matt Daisa for the game's first run in the top of the third. Daisa was making just his 10th start of the season and Cordell his 11th.

Sonoma evened the score in the bottom of the inning on Johnny Pham's sacrifice fly to score Chris Howard, who reached base on a hit to center to lead off the inning.

Chico tallied seven runs in the third as nine consecutive batters reached base. The 'Cats recorded seven hits in the inning, including back-to-back RBI doubles by Daisa and Luke Neel.

In the fifth inning, after intentionally walking Cordell to load the bases, Chico's Shanin Veronie singled to left to drive in two of the frame's three runs and take an 11-2 advantage.

Sonoma pinch hitter Gabe Raymond would not let the Cossacks go down quietly, belting his eighth homer of the season over the left field fence to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning.

John-Eric Hernandez (7-4) picked up the win, working eight innings, while giving up three runs on seven hits. Hernandez got stronger as the game went on, striking out six in his last three innings for a total of 10 on the night and 100 on the year. Hernandez becomes the first Wildcat pitcher to strike out 100 batters in a single season.

Sonoma's Jeff Ogston (7-8), who shut down Chico State in last week's CCAA tournament, took the loss after giving up 10 runs, only four earned, on 13 hits in four innings of work. The Cossacks had five errors in the game. Reliever Mike Nackord game on in the sixth to throw four strong innings, allowing the Wildcats just two hits.

The game was Chico State's 2,000th in the modern era, dating back to 1947. The 'Cats are 1077-915-8 over the last 53 years.

Winner - Hernandez (7-4). Loser - Ogston (7-8). Save - None.

LOB - Chico (14), Sonoma (7). DP Chico (1), Sonoma (2).

2B - Daisa, Chico; Neel, Chico; Glynn, Chico; Vogel, Sonoma; Chutuk, Sonoma; Hackney, Sonoma.

HR - Raymond, Sonoma.

Time - 3:10. Attendance - 1197.