SEASIDE – After an exciting start, the Chico State softball team is finding life on the road not so enjoyable these days. The Wildcats – winners of their first four games of the 2010 season – have now lost four straight, the latest coming against Cal State Monterey Bay. The host Otters bested the ’Cats in both ends of a doubleheader Friday, winning the first game 6-4, then shutting out Chico State in the nightcap 8-0 at CSUMB Softball Field.

The losses dropped Chico State to 4-4 on the season and 2-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State Monterey Bay, averaging seven runs a game so far this season, continued its torrid hitting to improve to 7-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference play.

Game one of Friday’s doubleheader saw the Wildcats jump out to a 1-0 lead on a first inning RBI single by Rachel Failla. The Otters took the lead in the bottom of the second, plating three runs off Chico State starter Kacie McCarthy. It stayed 3-1 until the ’Cats tied the game in the top of the sixth – with Courtney Brock aboard, Failla cracked her first home run of the season over the left field fence. Monterey Bay promptly answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of two Wildcat errors and a McCarthy wild pitch to go up 6-3. Chico State pulled to within two in the top of the seventh inning as Sam Quadt doubled home Christine Johnson, but Otters reliever Lisa Hernandez was able to get the final three outs without further damage, and the Wildcats – though outhitting the Otters 6-5 – would fall by the 6-4 final. Monterey Bay starter Nicole Garcia (3-0) pitched the first six innings to get credit for the win, with Hernandez picking up her second save of the season; McCarthy took the loss for Chico State to slip to 3-3 on the year.

BOX SCORE - Game One

It was all Monterey Bay in the nightcap – Shae Olds got the Otters rolling in the first inning with her fifth homer of the season to quickly stake Monterey Bay to a 2-0 lead. The Otters went up 5-0 with three third inning runs, then knocked out Chico State starter Jessica McDermott with two runs in the fourth. The Wildcats could manage just one hit – a fifth inning single by Bec Johnson – off Monterey Bay starter Diane Ortiz, and the Otters capped off the scoring with a run in the bottom of the fifth against Chico State reliever Sarah Marcia to cruise to the 8-0 win. Garcia (2-1) allowed just two Wildcat baserunners in the complete game victory; McDermott took the loss to fall to 1-1.

BOX SCORE - Game Two

Chico State and Cal State Monterey Bay are back in action Saturday, wrapping up the Seaside series with a doubleheader beginning at noon.