HAYWARD – Amazing what a difference a week can make. After struggling to score just five total runs in a series split with San Francisco State, the Chico State softball team strapped on its hitting shoes and put up its best offensive numbers of the season Friday against Cal State East Bay – the ’Cats, the No. 6 team in the West Region, pounded Pioneer pitching for 17 runs and 26 hits en route to an 11-0, 6-1 doubleheader sweep to open a four-game set at Pioneer Field in Hayward.
With the victories, Chico State – which has won its last three games – improves to 22-17 on the season, but more importantly, moves the Wildcats into sixth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with a 15-14 conference record. Chico State, battling for one of the four CCAA Championship Tournament berths, now sits just 1½ games back of fourth place UC San Diego and only a game behind fifth place Cal State San Bernardino. With the two losses Friday, Cal State East Bay slips to 12-30 overall and 5-25 in conference play.
The Wildcats wasted little time in staking Jessica McDermott to an early lead in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader. Courtney Brock’s first inning sacrifice fly plated Charlotte Honciano to get Chico State on the scoreboard…then in the top of the second Honciano doubled home Bec Johnson and Sam Quadt cleared the bags with a bases-loaded double to put the ’Cats up 5-0. It stayed that way until the top of the fifth inning, when Chico State struck again – Quadt led off the inning with the first home run of her Wildcat career, then later in the frame Brock came home of a fielder’s choice grounder to make the score 7-0. With McDermott keeping the East Bay offense in check, the ’Cats officially blew the game open by plating four in the top of the seventh inning on RBI doubles by Quadt and Christine Johnson and a run-scoring single by Brock, leaving it to McDermott to register the final three outs in the bottom of the seventh to lock down Chico State’s 11-0 victory. McDermott (10-6) scattered five hits to notch her fifth straight complete game and fifth shutout of the season; Quadt led the Wildcats’ 13-hit attack with two doubles, a homer and five RBI; Honciano and Brock chipped in with three hits apiece.
BOX SCORE - Game One
Chico State picked up where it left off in the second game of the twinbill, scoring three times in the top of the first inning – Brock delivered a two-run double and came home on a Rachel Failla single to quickly put the Wildcats on top. Chico State went up 4-0 in the top of the sixth when Honciano singled home Jessie Minch; then after Cal State East Bay got the run back in the bottom of the sixth, the ’Cats put the contest out of reach in the top of the seventh inning courtesy of a Failla RBI double and a run-scoring single by Minch. Starting pitcher Kacie McCarthy retired the Pioneers in order in the bottom of the seventh, and Chico State completed the doubleheader sweep with the 6-1 victory. McCarthy (10-9) allowed just five hits in going the distance; the Wildcats piled up another 13 hits in the nightcap, with Honciano going went 3-for-5 and Quadt, Failla and Christine Johnson collecting two hits each.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
Chico State and Cal State East Bay conclude the weekend series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.
