CARSON – Home runs have not been a major part of the Chico State softball team’s offensive attack for the last several years. In recent seasons the Wildcats have relied more on speed, successful execution of situational at-bats and hits with runners in scoring position to generate numbers on the scoreboard. Saturday the ’Cats went against tradition, leaning heavily on the long ball to produce all their runs in a doubleheader sweep of Cal State Dominguez Hills – home runs by Sam Baker and Hailey Stockman paved the way to a 5-1 victory in the opener, then Rachel Failla’s two-run bomb in the sixth inning of the nightcap gave Chico State a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Toro Diamond.
With Saturday’s wins, the Wildcats improve to 27-13 on the season, but more importantly, upped their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) record to 18-10. Chico State enters the final weekend of the regular season with a firm grip on third place in the conference standings, and needs just one victory in its final four games against Cal State Monterey Bay to clinch one of the four CCAA Championship Tournament berths. The doubleheader loss dropped Cal State Dominguez Hills to 25-20 overall and 15-13 in CCAA play.
Baker not only provided one of Chico State’s three home runs on the day, she shined in the pitcher’s circle, tossing a pair of complete game victories, allowing just one earned run in 14 innings of work to improve her season record to 20-5. Failla had three hits for the ’Cats on the afternoon, with Stockman and Britt Wright chipping in with two safeties apiece.
Game one of Saturday’s double dip featured Baker and Dominguez Hills starting pitcher Lauren Harper matching each other zero for zero through the first three frames. Chico State broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the fourth inning – following a one-out single by Stockman, Baker launched her seventh home run of the year down the left field line to put the Wildcats on top 2-0. In the top of the fifth, it was Stockman’s turn to go big fly – with Sam Quadt and Diana Payan aboard, Stockman smashed a Stephanie Jimenez pitch over the left-center field fence to push the ’Cats advantage to 5-0. The home run, Stockman’s eighth of the year, ties her with Chelsea Lundberg for the most homers ever by a Wildcat in a single season.
Cal State Dominguez Hills plated a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Baker proceeded to retire the final six Toros batters in order to lock down the 5-1 Wildcat win.
BOX SCORE - Game One
It was another pitcher’s duel in the nightcap, as Baker and Harper again kept the opposing offenses in check…in fact, the Wildcats could muster only one hit – a single by Failla – through the first five innings. Dominguez Hills went up 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Khryssi Steele singled home Daisy Beltran, but Chico State answered in the top of the sixth inning with what proved to be the game-winning rally. With two outs and pinch-runner Erin O’Hara at first, Failla delivered a “touch ‘em all” blast to left-center – her third round-tripper of the season putting the Wildcats in front, 2-1.
The Toros put the potential tying run on base in both the sixth and seventh innings, but each time Baker snuffed out the would-be Dominguez Hills rallies, getting Jackie Reyes to line out to end the sixth, and Steele to fly out to left field to end the ballgame and give Chico State the 2-1 win and the doubleheader sweep.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
The Wildcats wrap up the regular season next weekend with a four-game set against Cal State Monterey Bay at University Softball Field. The series gets underway Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., with a Senior Day twinbill Saturday slated to start at 11 a.m.
