TURLOCK – The Chico State softball team continued its superb play in the Mizuno Tournament of Champions Saturday – with the pitching tandem of Jessica McDermott and Kacie McCarthy allowing just one run all day, the Wildcats won two of its three contests, beating Grand Canyon 1-0 and Western Washington 7-0, before bowing in the late game to Hawaii Hilo 1-0. With four victories in five Tournament of Champions games, Chico State has improved its season record to 17-12 and will play Sunday for the chance to win the tourney’s Gold Bracket championship.

The Wildcats’ first game Saturday featured a dynamite pitcher’s duel between McDermott and Grand Canyon’s Ivy Campas. McDermott wiggled out of a few early inning jams, as the Antelopes stranded three runners in scoring position, but after giving up three hits in the first two frames, McDermott allowed just one hit over her final five innings of work. Campas held Chico State to just three hits through six innings, but in the bottom of the seventh the ’Cats pushed across the lone run of the game – a Rachel Failla single, an error allowing Jenna Wermes to reach and a walk to Christina Wieck loaded the bases, setting the stage for Kelly Head, who was hit by a Campas pitch to force home pinch runner Jessie Minch to give the Wildcats the 1-0 win over Grand Canyon. McDermott struck out eight in notching the complete game to up her season record to 7-2; despite going the distance and allowing just one unearned run, Campas took the loss to fall to 14-4 on the year.

BOX SCORE vs. Grand Canyon University

Against Western Washington, Chico State’s offense piled up 11 hits against Vikings’ starting pitcher Sarah McEnroe. The Wildcats went up 1-0 in the bottom of the second when Failla scored on a two-out RBI single by Christina Wieck; then in the fifth Charlotte Honciano singled home Head and then came around to score on a base hit by Sam Quadt to give Chico State a 3-0 lead. Western Washington had a chance to climb back into the contest, but McCarthy got out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth inning to keep the Vikings off the scoreboard. In the bottom of the sixth, the ’Cats broke the game open, scoring four times – Christine Johnson singled home Wieck and Minch; Honciano and Quadt immediately followed with RBI singles. Now with a comfortable lead, McCarthy set down Western Washington in order in the seventh to lock down Chico State’s 7-0 win, and with the complete game victory improved to 8-7 on the year. Honciano led the Wildcats’ offensive attack, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, with Quadt and Christine Johnson contributing two hits and two RBI.

BOX SCORE vs. Western Washington University

In the Wildcats’ final Saturday contest, McDermott pitched her second gem of the day, allowing just one unearned run and four hits in six innings of work…but this time, her efforts did not translate into a win. Hawaii Hilo plated what turned out to be the only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning, when Sierra Green singled, advanced to third on an infield hit and Chico State throwing error and scored on an Aisha Sueda groundout. McDermott proceeded to shut down the Vulcan offense the rest of the way, allowing just one baserunner over the next five innings, but Hawaii Hilo pitcher Sarah Weisskopf made the single run stand up, allowing just three hits in going the distance. Chico State’s lone scoring threat of the contest came in the top of the fifth inning, putting runners at second and third with one out…but Weisskopf snuffed out the rally, getting Honciano and Quadt to ground out the end the inning. The ’Cats went down in order in the sixth and seventh to drop the 1-0 decision and see their six game winning streak come to an end. McDermott took the hard-luck loss to fall to 7-3 on the season. Wieck had two of the three Chico State hits in the losing effort.

BOX SCORE vs. Hawaii Hilo