CHICO – Sam Baker tamed one of the best hitting teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), tossing a complete game three-hitter to give the Chico State softball team a 2-0 victory in the opener of Friday’s doubleheader against Humboldt State. But the visiting Lumberjacks flexed their offensive muscle in the nightcap, using a pair of home runs to highlight a nine-hit attack to down the ’Cats 6-2, earning a split of the series-opening double dip at University Softball Field.
With Friday’s split, the No. 25-ranked Wildcats are now 21-9 on the season, and remain in third place in the CCAA standings with a 12-6 conference mark. Humboldt State improved to 19-17 overall and 7-11 in CCAA play.
Baker was not overpowering in the first game of the doubleheader – she struck out only three batters in the contest – but she held Humboldt State hitless through the first three frames. Chico State drew first blood in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Hailey Stockman led off by launching her sixth home run of the year over the left field fence. The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth when Taylor Hanamaikai scored from third, beating the throw to the plate on a grounder by Sam Quadt.
Humboldt State threatened to climb back into the contest in the top of the sixth inning, loading the bases with nobody out. Baker, though, was able to get out of the jam unscathed, forcing a runner at the plate and coaxing a double play grounder off the bat off of Ally Blenis. The Lumberjacks would go quietly in the seventh, and the Wildcats walked away with the 2-0 victory – the first Chico State win over Humboldt at University Softball Stadium in seven years. Baker went the distance for the 15th time to improve to 15-3 on the season, while Stockman collected two of the ’Cats six hits in the game.
BOX SCORE - Game One
In the nightcap, the Lumberjacks used the long ball to post an early lead they would never relinquish. Felicia Viveiros cracked her fifth home run of the season with a runner aboard in the top of the first inning to give Humboldt State a quick 2-0 advantage. Chico State cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first, as Britt Wright led off with a triple to right center and scored on Quadt’s sacrifice fly. The Lumberjacks went up 4-1 in the top of the second inning when Wildcats starting pitcher Jessica McDermott surrendered a solo homer to Alicia Reid and an RBI double to Chrissy Stalf.
Sarah Marcia was summoned from the Wildcats’ bullpen, and kept Humboldt State close with four-and-a-third innings of shutout relief. But Chico State couldn’t capitalize, scoring no runs and leaving six runners on base through the next four frames. The Lumberjacks finally plated a pair of runs off Marcia in the top of the seventh inning – Lindsay Warren knocked in Sammi Gilbert with a double and scored on an RBI single by Serena Aragones to make it a 6-1 ballgame. Chico State scored a run in the bottom of the seventh when Jessie Minch came home from third on a Diana Payan sac fly, but it was far too little and far too late as the Lumberjacks locked down the 6-2 victory and a split of the doubleheader. Vaneza Hooper (9-5) tossed a complete game to earn the win, with McDermott (5-3) suffering the loss for the Wildcats. Wright had two of the ’Cats’ five hits in the loss.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
The two teams wrap up their four-game series Saturday with another doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Fans unable to attend the twinbill in person can follow the action on the Internet via LiveStats, available through the Wildcat Athletics website.
