The SF State baseball team’s four-game series against the Wildcats over the weekend served as a homecoming for head coach Tony Dress, a 1993 Chico State graduate who returned to his alma mater for the first time.

But 19th-ranked Chico State swept the series from the Gators to ruin Dress’ return. This was the Gators' ninth loss in a row and the seventh-consecutive loss to the Wildcats. The Gators continued to struggle at Nettleton Stadium where SF State has lost 24 of its last 26 games.

“It stings and I don’t want to lose to them anymore,” Dress said. “I bleed purple and gold.”

In the final game of the series on Sunday, the Gators (3-15, 0-8 CCAA) belted four homers but didn’t cross home plate after the fifth inning in the 17-13 loss to Chico State.

The Wildcats (12-4, 5-2 CCAA) jumped out to a 12-3 lead after three innings. Spencer Kreisberg started for SF State and gave up five earned runs on 10 hits in two and one-third innings.

After scoring three runs in the fourth, SF State exploded on offense by scoring seven runs in the fifth, which was highlighted by back-to-back-to-back homers from Evan Romanchuk, Ernie Munoz and Ryan Hill to give the Gators a 13-12 lead. This was Munoz’s second homer of the game after hitting a three-run bomb in the fourth.

“Our guys showed a lot of character,” Dress said. “They saw good pitching and made adjustments at the plate.”

Munoz finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs and Matt Kavanaugh finished 4-for-5 with four doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored to lead SF State. Conor Buestad went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Bobby Carini finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Gators.

Despite 15 hits as a team, SF State gave up 16 hits and committed seven errors on defense in the game and 13 errors in the four-game set.

The Gators’ struggles on defense are due to the lack of practice time on the field due to the recent bad weather and pitchers getting behind early in the count, Dress said.

After SF State took the lead, the Wildcats scored the final five runs of the game to seal the win. Jeff Henning gave up four runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four and one-third innings to pick up the loss for the Gators.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t sneak out the win,” Dress said. “But I think it was something for our team to build on.”

After losing the first game of the double-header 19-4 on Feb. 29, the Gators took an early lead in the nightcap but eventually lost 6-4.

RBI singles from Kavanaugh and Buestad gave SF State a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But Chico State scored a run in the first and second followed by two in the third to take a 4-2 lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Despite out-hitting the Wildcats 10-4 in the game, SF State stranded seven runners on base.

Buestad and Matt Edgecombe finished 2-for-4 with an RBI for SF State. Edgecombe recorded the loss for the Gators after giving up five earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts and three walks in five innings.

The first game of the series on Feb. 28 featured a pitching dual between SF State’s Zach Beal and Chico State’s Pete Mickartz. Beal had his fastball, change-up and curveball working as he scattered 10 hits in seven and two-thirds innings with three walks and two strikeouts.

“He kept the ball down and was throwing three pitches for strikes,” Dress said of Zeal. “He pitched backwards and really went after them.”

But Mickartz kept the Gators’ hitters off-balance all game, allowing one hit in eight shutout innings to get the win.

The Gators begin a four-game series against CSU Monterey Bay on Friday at 2 p.m. at the Swamp. SF State then travels to Seaside for a double-header starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday followed by the series finale back at home on Sunday at 11 a.m.