The Warriors squared off with the hottest team in the CCAA last week and were swept in a four-game set against the Chico State Wildcats. Chico boasts the best pitching staff in the CCAA and their pitchers were able to shut down the conference’s best hitting team.
In the first game of the series, the Wildcats capitalized on an early error en route to a three-run fifth inning and a 4-3 victory.
After two sacrifice flies and an RBI double, the Wildcats knocked Warrior starter Nick Ippolito out of the game. The offense responded in the home-half of the inning with Colton Beatty’s RBI single and Marcus Mastrobuoni’s squeeze bunt.
Skippy Ferreria, the defending CCAA  Player of the Week, hit a ground-rule double in the bottom of the sixth that would tie the game for the Warriors. Stanislaus would give up their second unearned run in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch.
Errors continue to plague the Warriors this season. The team has committed 40 errors so far.
The frustrations continued for the Warriors on Saturday. Leading the first game of the doubleheader 3-2 in the ninth, the bullpen was unable to close the door, giving up four runs in a Wildcat rally.
Stanislaus pitcher Nick Voumard pitched well for the team going seven-plus innings while allowing three hits and two runs with four strikeouts.  Saturday’s game was Voumard’s best yet and is the first time this season he has pitched past the fifth.
The Wildcats pounded the Warriors in the second game of the doubleheader 11-0.  Chico State had two runs in the first, three in the third and five in the fifth to put the game out of reach early.
Sunday’s matchup featured a duel between aces from both teams. Unfortunately for the Warriors, Stanislaus’s ace, Jeremy McDonald, was out-dueled by Marcos Lara. Lara took a perfect game into the fifth before Clint Brill’s single. Lara threw seven-plus innings for the Wildcats before handing the ball to closer Luke Baker. Baker earned saves in three of the four Wildcat victories.
No run support cost McDonald, who pitched a good game despite earning the loss.  The sophomore southpaw pitched six and a third for the Warriors, yielding nine hits, three runs and striking out four.
Martin Gomez came out of the bullpen for the Warriors and pitched a perfect two and two-thirds innings to limit the damage.
The Warriors’ record currently stands at 8-18 overall and 4-15 in CCAA play.  The team will have a few days off before starting a three-game set against the Academy of Art March 28-29.
The team will also square-off with the Modesto Nuts on April 1 at John Thurman Field.