CHICO – Since joining the Chico State softball team a little over a year ago, Jessica McDermott has been the Wildcats’ original hard luck pitcher. In 2009, the sophomore from San Diego lost eight games in which she gave up just two runs or less…and this season she’s already experienced her share of ups and downs. But Friday at University Softball Field, McDermott was not to be denied, twirling a four-hit shutout and striking out a career-high 10 batters – including the final three to end the game – to give the Wildcats a 1-0 victory over Oregon Tech and salvaging a split of their doubleheader with the Hustlin’ Owls. Earlier in the day, Oregon Tech bested the ’Cats by a final of 7-2.
With a split of the non-conference twinbill, Chico State goes to 9-7 on the season while remaining 6-6 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. Oregon Tech, a NAIA school, saw its record go to 9-9 overall.
Game one of Friday’s doubleheader began with Wildcat starting pitcher Kacie McCarthy battling her contro, and the Hustlin’ Owls took full advantage, scoring a run in the top of the first inning thanks in large part to two walks and a wild pitch. In the top of the third inning, Oregon Tech went up 3-0 on a two-run double by Kayde Schaefer, effectively ending McCarthy’s day. Chico State answered with a run in the bottom of the third when Sam Quadt came home from third on a fielding error by Hustlin’ Owls pitcher Taylor Schmidt; then in the fifth inning Wildcats made the score 3-2 on a Courtney Brock RBI single. Oregon Tech, though, pushed its advantage to two in the top of sixth on a solo home run by Amber Knight, then put the game away with three runs in the seventh off Chico State reliever Caitlin Bryne. Hustlin’ Owls reliever Mikey Eustance brought the victory home by inducing Jenna Wermes to hit into a game-ending double play in the bottom of the seventh, and Oregon Tech came away with the 7-2 win. Schmidt (5-2) got credit for the win, with Eustance picking up her first save of the season; McCarthy (4-6) went just two-and-two-thirds innings in picking up the loss. The Wildcats piled up 10 hits in the losing effort, with Quadt and Charlotte Honciano picking up three safeties apiece.
BOX SCORE - Game One
In the nightcap, McDermott also had early control issues, walking the first batter she faced and going deep in the count on several other hitters, but she was bailed out on a pair of outstanding defensive plays. In the top of the first, Wildcats left fielder Christine Johnson gunned down Andria Wheatley at the plate on a two-out single by Sara Coates to extinguish one Hustlin’ Owls rally…then in the second Courtney Brock kept Oregon Tech off the scoreboard, throwing out Jess Plummer at home to end the inning. Chico State plated what turned out to be the game’s only run in the bottom of the third, when Brock scored from second on an opposite-field single by Rachel Failla. Now staked to a lead, McDermott got stronger as the game progressed, retiring nine in a row at one point and striking out at least one hitter in every frame. Her spectacular pitching performance almost came unraveled in the top of the seventh, when the Hustlin’ Owls put the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with nobody out. But McDermott reached back for that little extra that great competitors always seem to find at crunch time, and took care of matters herself, striking out Knight, Brittany Cherry and Kaila Johnson to end the ballgame in dramatic fashion, giving the ’Cats a 1-0 victory and the split of the doubleheader. With the win, McDermott improved her record to 3-1 on the season; Oregon Tech’s Becca Anderson (1-4) pitched well but was saddled with the loss. Brock has two of Chico State’s seven hits and, like Quadt and Honciano, finished with four knocks on the day.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
The Wildcats return to conference action next week, traveling to Arcata to take on the Humboldt State Lumberjacks in a pair of doubleheaders Friday and Saturday. Friday’s twinbill gets underway at 1:00 p.m., with the Saturday double dip beginning at noon.