SAN BERNARDINO – The Chico State softball team’s offense continued to produce Saturday in its doubleheader with Cal State San Bernardino, racking up a combined 10 runs and 17 hits. But the host Coyotes came out swinging as well, pounding the usually reliable Wildcat pitching staff for 19 runs and 27 hits en route to a sweep of the twinbill. San Bernardino took the opener 6-5 in nine innings, then walloped the ’Cats 13-5 in the nightcap to earn a split of the four game series at Coyote Field.
The losses dropped Chico State to 14-7 on the season and sent the Wildcats back to third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with an 11-5 conference mark. Cal State San Bernardino improved to 14-12 with the doubleheader sweep and evened its CCAA record at 10-10.
Sam Baker enjoyed her most productive day as a Wildcat – but not in the pitcher’s circle. Baker slammed two home runs and knocked in six runs to provide Chico State with a large portion of its offense Saturday. Diana Payan collected a double and two singles on the day for the ’Cats to extend her hitting streak to nine straight games.
San Bernardino wasted little time staking starting pitcher Brianne Godfredson to an early lead, scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning on RBI doubles by Felicia Cervantes and Alyssa Flores; then in the bottom of the second Britney Butler homered with a runner aboard to put the Coyotes up 4-0. In the top of the third inning Baker pulled the Wildcats even with one swing of her bat – after Payan, Britt Wright and Sam Quadt got aboard, Baker launched a grand slam over the left field fence. San Bernardino regained the lead in the bottom of the third when Priscilla Curiel homered to make it a 5-4 contest. Chico State stranded runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but in the top of the seventh the Wildcats pushed across the tying run when Jessie Minch singled home Rachel Failla. Baker set down San Bernardino in order in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
Chico State dodged a bullet in the bottom of the eighth inning when Butler was thrown out at home trying to score the winning run, but in the ninth the Coyotes used a two-out walk and back-to-back singles by Courtney Wilhelms and Jamie Leffingwell to plate Alene Casillas, giving San Bernardino the 6-5 victory. Baker and Wright each had three hits to lead the Wildcats’ 12-hit attack in the losing effort; Cassidy Lee (5-5) picked up the win in relief for the Coyotes, with Baker (10-3) suffering the complete game loss for the Wildcats.
BOX SCORE - Game One
In the nightcap it was Chico State drawing first blood – in the top of the first Wright scored on a Hailey Stockman RBI groundout; then later in the inning, with Payan aboard, Baker went big fly again – her second homer of the day (and fourth of the year) gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. It didn’t last long – a solo homer by Butler and RBI doubles by Wilhelms and Cervantes in the bottom of the first put the Coyotes in front, 4-3. San Bernardino continued its torrid hitting in the bottom of the second, smacking two home runs to highlight a six-run inning and forging a 10-3 lead.
Chico State cut the deficit to five with two runs in the top of the third inning, as Quadt scored on a wild pitch and Stockman knocked in Payan with a single to center field. San Bernardino went up 11-5 with a run in the bottom of the third, then finished off the Wildcats with two runs in the bottom of the fifth; the eight-run rule bringing the game to a close and giving the Coyotes a convincing 13-5 victory and the doubleheader sweep. Payan had two of Chico State’s five hits in the contest; four different Coyotes players had three hits as San Bernardino piled up 16 safeties in the game. The Coyotes’ Carly Land (5-3) got credit for the win in relief, with Kacie McCarthy (1-3), the second of three Wildcat pitchers, taking the loss.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
Chico State is back in action next weekend, as the Wildcats travel to Rohnert Park for a four-game series with Sonoma State. A Friday doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m., with Saturday’s twinbill is slated to start at noon.
