CHICO, Calif. – The defending Division II champion Humboldt State Lumberjacks came into their four game series with Chico State batting an eye-popping .357 as a team, and Monday the Lumberjacks continued to pound the ball, collecting a combined 25 hits en route to sweeping the Wildcats 6-3 and 7-0 in doubleheader action at University Softball Field.
In the first game of the twinbill, Humboldt State grabbed a 2-0 lead three batters into the contest, as Natalie Galletly’s first inning double drove home Nikki Ketteringham and Lindsay Warren. The Lumberjacks went up 3-0 in the fourth inning when pinch-runner Megan Green scored from third on a throwing error by Wildcats catcher Jenna Wermes. Chico State came back, though, to trim the Humboldt lead to one – Christina Wieck’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly got the Wildcats on the board in the fourth inning, and in the fifth Rachel Failla’s RBI single plated Christine Johnson to make it a 3-2 ballgame. But Humboldt used the long ball to break the game open in the sixth inning, as Geneva Perrine blasted a homer to left with two aboard to extend the Lumberjacks lead to 6-2. Chico State picked up a run in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Failla, but Humboldt reliever Jenna Anderson struck out Mady Lombard to end the game and give the Lumberjacks the 6-3 victory. Lumberjacks starting pitcher Gracie Perez (5-2) got credit for the win, with Lauren Walker (2-7) taking the loss for Chico State. The Wildcats had nine hits in the losing effort, with Wermes, Christine Johnson and Rebecca Johnson contributing two hits apiece.
It was more of the same in the nightcap, as Humboldt took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a two-out RBI single by Perrine. The Lumberjacks chased Wildcats starter Jessica McDermott in the third, racking up five hits (including back-to-back RBI doubles by Galletly and Marissa Slattery) to score three times and go up 4-0. Chico State had a chance to climb back into the contest, loading the bases with one out in the fourth inning, but Charlotte Honciano tapped into a 1-2-3 double play to end the Wildcats scoring threat. The score was still 4-0 when the ’Cats put the first two batters aboard in the sixth, but a line drive double play off the bat of Failla short-circuited what would prove to be Chico State’s final rally. Humboldt plated three more runs in the top of the seventh to officially put the game away…the Lumberjacks eventually coming away with the 7-0 win and the doubleheader sweep, handing the Wildcats their eighth straight defeat. Humboldt starter Nicole Parada (5-1) picked up the victory; McDermott (2-9) suffered the loss for Chico State. Wermes went 2-for-3 to pace the Wildcats’ eight hit attack.
With the doubleheader loss, Chico State falls to 5-16 overall and 3-11 in the CCAA; Humboldt State improves to 14-4 on the season and 7-3 in conference play.
The Wildcats and Lumberjacks will wrap up the series with another doubleheader on Tuesday, with the first game beginning at 11:00 a.m. at University Softball Field.
BOX SCORE - Game One
BOX SCORE - Game Two
