SEASIDE – The Chico State softball team suffered a momentary lapse of offense in its weekend series against Cal State Monterey Bay – scoring just one run over an 18 inning stretch, the Wildcats were in danger of being swept in the four game set. But after dropping a 6-0 decision in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader versus the Otters, the ’Cats rallied in the nightcap for four runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull out a 5-1 victory and salvage a win in the series finale at CSUMB Softball Field.
The win snapped a five game Chico State losing streak and evened the Wildcats season record at 5-5 and improving to 3-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State Monterey Bay finished the weekend with an 8-2 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play.
The Otters jumped on Wildcats’ starter Kacie McCarthy early in the twinbill’s opening game, scoring three times in the first inning and adding another run in the second. Sarah Marcia came on in relief for Chico State in the third and served up a two-run homer by Caydi Dommeyer to put Monterey Bay in front 6-0. Otters starting pitcher Diane Ortiz, who twirled a one-hit shutout against the Wildcats on Friday, was just as dominating Saturday, limiting Chico State to just a first inning single by Courtney Brock and a base hit in the fifth by Charlotte Honciano en route to the complete game shutout. Ortiz improved to 3-1 with the victory, while McCarthy suffered the loss to fall to 3-4 on the year.
BOX SCORE - Game One
The Wildcats needed a lift in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, and they got it from righthander Jessica McDermott. The sophomore, who began the day with an earned run average of 8.59, tossed a complete game three-hitter while striking out four to keep the ’Cats in the contest. Monterey Bay took advantage of McDermott’s wildness in the bottom of the third inning, stringing together a single and three walks to take a 1-0 lead. But McDermott was nearly unhittable thereafter, allowing just one Otters’ hit in her last four innings of work. Chico State tied the game in the top of the fourth inning when Rachel Failla plated Sam Quadt with a double to the right field gap, then in the top of the seventh took the lead for good – Kelly Head scored on a base hit by Jenna Wermes, Honciano delivered an RBI double, Quadt knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly and Bec Johnson wrapped up the rally with an RBI single. The four run uprising put the Wildcats on top 5-1, and McDermott made quick work of Monterey Bay in the bottom of the seventh, retiring the Otters in order to post the win and help Chico State salvage the finale of the four game series. McDermott improved her season record to 2-1, while Cal State Monterey Bay’s Nicole Garcia (3-1) took the loss. Honciano, Failla and Reina Andreatta each had two hits in the ’Cats nine hit attack.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
Chico State will play its first home games of the 2010 season next weekend, when they welcome Cal State Dominguez Hills to University Softball Field for a pair of doubleheaders. The series gets underway Friday, with game one beginning at 1:00 p.m. Saturday’s twinbill gets underway at 11:00 a.m.
