CHICO – No doubt about it – Sam Baker was definitely cookin’ Saturday. The ace righthander of the Chico State softball team tossed back-to-back complete game victories and belted a three-run homer to begin a productive offensive afternoon for the No 25-ranked Wildcats, who swept Humboldt State 8-3 and 5-2 at University Softball Field to take three of four from the Lumberjacks and move into second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings.
The Wildcats – winners of nine of their last 11 games – improved to 23-9 overall and shot past Sonoma State in the CCAA standings with a 14-6 conference mark. With Saturday’s losses, Humboldt State dipped to 19-19 on the season and 7-13 in CCAA play.
Baker certainly wasn’t alone in engineering the ’Cats doubleheader sweep – Hailey Stockman had a terrific day at the plate, reaching base in all six plate appearances, scoring three runs and driving in four to raise her season batting average to an even .400. Diana Payan also had three hits on the afternoon and scored three times for the Wildcats.
Baker got things rolling in the first inning of Saturday’s doubleheader opener. With two outs and Payan at second, Humboldt State elected to walk Stockman intentionally to face Baker. The move backfired big time as Baker launched her fifth round tripper of the year over the center field fence, putting Chico State in front 3-0. But lead didn’t last long, as Courtney Hiatt went big fly with two aboard for the Lumberjacks in the top of the second inning, tying the contest up at three apiece.
The Wildcats took the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning, and this time it was Rachel Failla that delivered, ripping a two-out double down the left field line to plate Payan and Stockman, giving Chico State a 5-3 advantage. While Baker shut down the dangerous Humboldt State offense the rest of the way, the Wildcats iced the victory with three runs in the bottom of the fifth – an RBI single by Stockman and a two-out, two-run double by Jackie Munoz put the ’Cats up 8-3, which would turn out to be the final score.
BOX SCORE - Game One
In the nightcap, Chico State again jumped out to an early lead, as Stockman doubled home Payan and Wright to put the Wildcats in front 2-0. Humboldt State cut the deficit in half with a run in the top of the fourth, but the ’Cats answered with a three-spot in their half of the inning – Taylor Hanamaikai came home on a single by Payan; then after Britt Wright scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Stockman, Sam Quadt crossed the plate while Payan got into a rundown between first and second. When the dust had settled on the wild play, Chico State owned a 5-1 lead.
Now staked to a four-run cushion, Baker got the final nine outs to seal the Wildcat victory – but it wasn’t easy. Humboldt State scored a run in the top of the sixth inning, then with two outs in the seventh put two aboard to get the potential tying run to the plate. Baker turned out the lights on any late-inning Lumberjacks comeback by inducing a groundout off the bat of Serena Aragones to end the game and give Chico State the 5-2 win and the sweep of the doubleheader. With her two victories Saturday, Baker’s record improved to 17-3 on the season.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
The Wildcats are back in action this Monday and Tuesday, traveling to Rohnert Park to take on Sonoma State in a four-game series that was originally rained out over three weeks ago. Monday’s doubleheader begins at 2 p.m., with Tuesday’s twinbill slated for 1 p.m.
