CHICO – An amazingly successful 2010 campaign for the Chico State softball team will continue into the postseason – the Wildcats took both ends of a doubleheader Saturday from Cal State Stanislaus, winning by scores of 1-0 and 9-1, and with UC San Diego splitting its Saturday twinbill with Cal State San Bernardino, Chico State clinches fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and will move on to play in next weekend’s conference tournament in Stockton, with the chance of also competing in next month’s NCAA West Regionals still on the horizon.
Chico State, ranked no. 6 in the West Region entering the weekend, wrapped up the regular season with a flourish, capturing its last nine games (the longest winning streak by a Wildcat softball team since the early 1980’s) to improve to 28-17 on the year and 21-14 in CCAA play. By securing a conference tournament berth, Chico State softball will make its first postseason appearance since the 2005 season, when the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA West Regional title game. With Saturday’s two losses, Cal State Stanislaus finishes its season 13-36-1 overall and 8-28 mark in CCAA play.
The Warriors saw to it in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader that it would be no cakewalk for Chico State and the Wildcats’ postseason aspirations. Stanislaus pitcher Jennifer Arnold held the ’Cats to just one hit through the first five innings, while Chico State starter Jessica McDermott had to wiggle out of a trio of jams. After walking the bases full in the top of the first, McDermott struck out Arnold and Veronica Luna to end the inning and escape unscathed; in the fourth inning, the Warriors put two aboard with back-to-back one out singles by Arnold and Missy Corral, but again McDermott dodged the bullet by striking out Nicole Jenkins and getting Brittany Balanesi to foul out. Stanislaus loaded the bases again in the top of the sixth inning, but McDermott again stiffened, getting Cassandra Carlos to ground out to end the threat and keep the game scoreless. The lone run of the contest came in the bottom of the sixth, when Jennifer Wermes delivered her second two out game-winning hit in as many days, pulling a double down the right field line to plate Sam Quadt. The Warriors got the tying run to second with one out in the top of the seventh, but McDermott was able to retire the final two hitters without incident to give Chico State the hard-fought 1-0 victory. McDermott (13-6) struck out nine in tossing her eighth straight complete game and seventh shutout of the season; Arnold (6-14) allowed just three Chico State hits but took the loss for Stanislaus.
BOX SCORE - Game One
The Wildcats came out blazing in the nightcap, sending 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning, scoring seven times. Quadt got the ’Cats on the board with a double to left field to bring home Christine Johnson, then Wermes delivered a single to right to knock in Quadt and Courtney Brock to make the score 3-0. Following a Rachel Failla single, Kelly Head doubled to left to drive home a pair, then scored when Jessie Minch reached on an error to push the ’Cats lead to 6-0. Charlotte Honciano capped off the huge inning with an RBI double to left, and just like that Chico State had staked pitcher Kacie McCarthy with a big 7-0 advantage. Cal State Stanislaus scored what would turn out to be its only run of the day in the top of the fourth, when Arnold opened the inning with a double and came home on a Kiley Mendez single, but in the bottom of the fifth inning the Wildcats put an end to the proceedings courtesy of RBI singles by Head and Honciano, locking down the 9-1 victory and the sweep of both the doubleheader and the four-game series. McCarthy (13-9) earned the win by going the distance for the sixth straight time; Mendez (0-3) was saddled with the loss for Stanislaus. Chico State pounded out 11 hits, with Head going 2-for-3 and driving in three runs; Honciano, Quadt and Failla also had two hits apiece.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
The Wildcats will now take on the CCAA Championship Tournament’s No. 1 seed, Cal State Monterey Bay, in the double-elimination tourney taking place Friday through Sunday at Arnaiz Stadium in Stockton. The Otters – which beat Chico State three out of four early in the season – entered the weekend ranked fifth in the West Region. Start time for Friday's Wildcats-Otters game is 7 p.m.
