In gearing up for the 2015 season, Chico State softball Head Coach Angel Shamblin was anxious to strengthen the team's pitching staff. To compliment returners Brooke Langeloh and Cheyenne Sandoval, Shamblin dipped into the high school ranks to bring in righthander Haley Gilham. It is looking like an extremely shrewd move. The true freshman has contributed as both a starter and reliever, and against Cal State Stanislaus, she enjoyed the biggest week of her young college career, picking up a pair of complete-game victories and one in relief as Chico State swept the four-game series. Gilham is the latest Wildcat of the Week.
All told, Gilham allowed just two earned runs and nine hits in 13.2 innings (a 1.02 ERA), striking out nine and holding Stanislaus hitters to a .173 batting average.
In the second game of Friday's series-opening doubleheader, Gilham started and allowed just a run on two hits in Chico State's 12-1 victory. She got credit for both wins in Saturday's twinbill, tossing 1.2 innings of shutout relief in the Wildcats' 8-5 game one victory, then giving up just one earned run in a seven-inning stint as Chico State completed the series sweep in the nightcap, 9-4.
So far on the season, Gilham is 4-3 with a 3.03 ERA. She leads the Wildcat pitching staff with four complete games.
Gilham and the Wildcats are back in action Friday and Saturday, traveling to Southern California for a four-game series against Cal State San Bernardino.
