CHICO – Freshman Caitlin Byrne had to wait patiently to make her Chico State pitching debut, and after sitting on the sidelines for the team’s first 10 games of the season, the San Diego native finally got the call in the Wildcats’ home-opening doubleheader against Cal State Dominguez Hills. The San Diego native did not disappoint, tossing a combined four-and-a-third innings of shutout ball and picking up the victory as Chico State beat the visiting Toros 7-5 in the nightcap at University Softball Field. In the first game of the twinbill, Cal State Dominguez Hills survived a seventh inning Wildcat rally to win 3-2.
Saturday’s doubleheader split kept Chico State at the .500 mark overall, as the Wildcats move to 6-6 on the season and 4-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State Dominguez Hills finished the day with a 10-6 overall record; the Toros are now 5-5 in conference play.
Dominguez Hills opened the first game’s scoring with a run in the top of the second inning on an RBI single by Katie Jordan, and Toros pitcher Lauren Harper made the 1-0 lead stand up until the bottom of the fourth, when Chico State’s Rachel Failla came home on a Reina Andreatta sacrifice fly. It stayed 1-1 until the top of the seventh, but Emiley McEwen’s two-run single off Wildcats’ starter Kacie McCarthy put Dominguez Hills back on top, 3-1. Chico State responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh – Christine Johnson scored from third on a throwing error by Toros right fielder Caitlin McGrath – but with Charlotte Honciano respresenting the potential tying run at third, Failla popped out to end it and Dominguez Hills escaped with the 3-2 victory. Harper (4-1) went the distance to pick up the win for the Toros, with McCarthy (3-5) taking the loss for the Wildcats. Dominguez Hills outhit Chico State 10-7; Honciano and Christine Johnson each collected two hits for the ’Cats in the losing effort.
BOX SCORE - Game One
The Wildcats jumped out to a big first inning lead in the nightcap – a bases-loaded walk to Failla put Chico State on the board, then Jenna Wermes delivered a two-run double to center field. Courtney Brocked drove home Failla with a sacrifice fly, and Wermes would score on a wild pitch to put the ’Cats up 5-0. Dominguez Hills whittled down Chico State’s lead with single runs in the second and third inning, then knocked Wildcat starter Jessica McDermott out of the game with three runs in the fourth to knot things up at five apiece. Byrne, in relief of McDermott, gave up the game-tying single to Amber Angel, but after that allowed the Toros just two hits the rest of the way. Chico State took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning – Christina Wieck smacked a two-out, pinch-hit double to center to plate Bec Johnson, then Wermes came home when McEwen mishandled Andreatta’s grounder to short. Bryne took it from there, wiggling out a mini-jam in the top of the sixth inning and, with the potential tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh, got Jordan to pop out to Jessie Minch at shortstop for the final out to give the Wildcats the 7-5 victory and a split of the doubleheader. Bryne (1-0) struck out three and got credit for the win, with the Toros’ Wendy Espindola (1-3) saddled with the loss. Wermes and Bec Johnson each had two hits for the ’Cats in Saturday’s second game; despite losing, Dominguez Hills outhit the ’Cats 9-6 in the nightcap.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
The Wildcats and Toros wrap up their four-game series Sunday with another doubleheader, with the first game slated to start at 11:00 a.m. at University Softball Field.