On a Chico State softball team so full of seniors, it’s not often that an underclass player gets to be the difference maker in a big game. Emily McEnaney has put up some solid numbers during her freshman year, but it was in last weekend’s California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament that the native of nearby Red Bluff truly came to the fore, batting .444 over three games and knocking in the deciding run in the Wildcats’ lone tournament victory. McEnaney’s postseason prowess at the plate makes her the latest choice for Wildcat of the Week.
Facing some of the best pitching in the conference, McEnaney went 4-for-9 during the CCAA Championship Tournament. She reached base five times, posted a .500 on-base percentage, and scored twice in the Wildcats’ three tournament contests.
Friday’s tournament opener against Cal State Monterey Bay was McEnaney’s highlight game of the weekend – she went 3-for-3 and drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the top of the seventh inning. Later in the frame McEnaney scored a big insurance run, scoring all the way from first on a double by teammate Sam Quadt to complete a four-run rally to beat the Otters, 6-3. McEnaney had one hit and scored a run Saturday in the Wildcats’ 3-2 loss to UC San Diego.
McEnaney is currently batting .255 for the season and is fourth on the Wildcats with 27 runs batted in. She also has belted two homers on the year.
Chico State continues postseason play this weekend, traveling to southern California to compete in the NCAA West Sub-Regional at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The team’s first matchup in its march to the national title is Friday, when the No. 4 Wildcats take on fifth-seeded Sonoma State.
