CHICO, Calif. – Take away Cal State San Bernardino pitcher Debbie Shisler, and Chico State’s weekend series with the visiting Coyotes would have definitely had a different outcome. But the San Bernardino Sr., fresh from tossing a one-hit shutout against the Wildcats Friday, blanked Chico State in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader 1-0, then came back to pitch four-and-two-thirds inning of scoreless relief in the nightcap as the Coyotes pushed a run across in the 11th inning to nip the ’Cats 2-1, sweeping the twinbill and taking three of four in the series played at University Softball Field.
Game one set the tone for the afternoon, as Shisler and the Wildcats’ Lauren Walker matched each other zero for zero through the first five innings. Walker wiggled out of a two-on, two-out jam in the second by striking out Rhiannon Treat to end the inning, then allowed only one baserunner over the next three frames, retiring eight in a row at one point. Shisler, meanwhile, set down 12 consecutive batters before Jenna Wermes quashed any talk on a no-hit with a single to lead off the Wildcats fifth inning. Shisler helped her own cause by scoring what turned out to be the lone run of the ballgame in the sixth inning on a pinch-hit RBI single by Jocelyn Perry. Chico State got the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh as Jesse Minch delivered a leadoff single, but Shisler set down the next three batters she faced to post the two-hit, 1-0 complete game victory for San Bernardino. Walker (1-3) allowed just five hits but was saddled with the loss for the Wildcats.
The second game featured another strong Chico State pitching performance, this time by Jessica McDermott. The Fr. righthander threw all 11 innings and kept the Wildcats in the contest by retiring 11 in a row after working out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the sixth inning. San Bernardino got on the board in the top of the third when Alex Mitchell scored on a RBI groundout by Ashley Collinwood, but the ’Cats pulled even in the bottom of the inning when Christina Wieck was hit by a Maggie Karros pitch with the bases loaded. The game stayed 1-1 until a one-out double by Wermes in the bottom of the seventh inning put the winning run in scoring position…but Shisler came on to get Gwen Cox to hit into a fielder’s choice and Rebecca Johnson to fly out to end the threat and send the contest into extra innings. San Bernardino plated the winning run in the 11th inning on back-to-back two-out singles by Felicia Cervantes and Priscilla Curiel and a double down the left field line by Brittany Hoban. Chico State refused to roll over, though, putting the tying and winning runs aboard with one out in the bottom of the 11th, but Shisler once again poured cold water on the Wildcat rally, retiring Wermes and Cox to give the Coyotes the extra-innings win and the doubleheader sweep. By winning both ends of the twinbill, Shisler’s season record improved to 6-3, while McDermott suffered the hard-luck loss to fall to 1-5 on the year.
Wermes finished the day with four of the Wildcats 12 total hits, while Christine Johnson had three hits in the nightcap. With Saturday’s doubleheader loss, Chico State fell to 3-8 on the season and 1-3 in the CCAA, while Cal State San Bernardino improved to 8-10 overall and evened its conference record at 4-4.
The Wildcats are set to take on defending Division II champion Humboldt State this Monday and Tuesday to make up a pair of doubleheaders that were rained out Feb. 13-14, but forecasted wet weather on Sunday threatens the re-scheduled double dips. Monday’s doubleheader is slated to being at 1:00 p.m. at University Softball Field, while Tuesday’s twinbill will start at 11:00 a.m., weather permitting. Be sure to check the Wildcats Athletic website for updates on possible time changes or re-scheduling.
BOX SCORE -- Game One
BOX SCORE -- Game Two
