TURLOCK – Sunday’s Chico State softball action at the Mizuno Tournament of Champions mirrored the team’s results from the first two days of the three-day, 76-game event – the Wildcats turned in a solid effort, beating Hawaii-Hilo 7-0 in the tourney’s Platinum Bracket semifinals, then saw their offense sputter later in the day in a 5-0 loss to Sonoma State. The ’Cats ended up dropping four of their seven Tournament of Champions contests.
The Sunday afternoon split at Pitman Field in Turlock moved Chico State’s overall record to 25-11 on the season. The Wildcats have been battling consistency over the past couple of weeks, having lost six of its last 10 decisions and winning back-to-back games only once since sweeping a doubleheader from San Francisco State back on March 21.
After dropping two of three on Friday and splitting a pair of Tournament of Champions games Saturday – scoring just 11 runs in the five Tournament of Champions contests – Chico State’s offense came out firing on all cylinders Sunday against Hawaii-Hilo. Hailey Stockman staked the ’Cats to a quick 1-0 lead by tripling home Sam Quadt in the bottom of the first inning, and in the second Chico State exploded for a half-dozen, courtesy of Britt Wright’s two-run double and Stockman’s third grand slam of the year, giving the Wildcats a 7-0 lead. The round tripper was the 17th of Stockman’s Chico State career, making her the top home run hitter in Wildcat history.
Sam Baker, meanwhile, excelled in the pitcher’s circle, scattering three hits and striking out 10 Hawaii-Hilo batters on the way to posting her second shutout and 10th complete game of the season. Stockman finished the game with five RBI – the third time she’s knocked in at least five runs in a game this season.
BOX SCORE vs. Hawaii-Hilo
Chico State had little time to cool down following the 7-0 victory over Hawaii-Hilo. Thirty minutes later they were squaring off with California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival Sonoma State in the Tournament of Champions Platinum Bracket title game. The Wildcats faced the Seawolves’ best pitcher, Samantha Lipperd, who was in the midst of a record-setting weekend – all told, Lipperd struck out 104 batters in Turlock, including an NCAA Division II record 26 on Friday.
Sonoma State built an early lead for Lipperd, reaching Wildcats’ starting pitcher Kayla McConnell for a run in the first and second innings, then plating a run against Baker in the third. In the top of the fourth inning, the Seawolves went up 5-0 on Hayley Condon’s two-out, two-run homer to left. Lipperd held the ’Cats hitless until Diana Payan delivered a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth, but Chico State could only muster five hits in the game – two coming from freshman Kelli Keefe. The lone Wildcat rally came in the bottom of the sixth when Bianca Lopez and Sam Quadt singled to lead off the inning, but Stockman hit into a fielder’s choice and Payan lined into a double play to end the threat. Lipperd retired the ’Cats without incident in the seventh, sealing Sonoma State’s 5-0 win.
BOX SCORE vs. Sonoma State
Chico State returns home next weekend, hosting CCAA leader Cal State Dominguez Hills in a huge four-game series that could go a long way to determine if the Wildcats and Toros reach the CCAA Championship Tournament. The series begins with a doubleheader Friday starting at 1:00 p.m., with a Saturday twinbill slated for 11 a.m.
