STOCKTON – The Chico State softball team put an end to its four-game losing streak in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament, and they did it in dramatic fashion – just two outs away from bowing to Cal State Monterey Bay in Friday’s tournament opener, the No. 19 Wildcats erupted for four runs in the top of the seventh inning to post a come-from-behind 6-3 victory over the No. 6 Otters at Arnaiz Field in Stockton.
Chico State, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, advances to Saturday’s 2 p.m. winner’s bracket game against No. 4 UC San Diego, which beat top-seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills 1-0 on Friday afternoon. If the Wildcats can triumph over the Tritons, they will advance directly to Sunday’s championship round; should the ’Cats lose to UC San Diego, they’ll play Saturday at 7 p.m. in a tournament elimination game.
Friday’s victory marked Chico State’s first win in the CCAA Tournament since beating Monterey Bay on April 30, 2010, and improved the Wildcats’ season record to 35-14 while extending the team’s current winning streak to five. The Otters, which went into the tournament as the CCAA’s co-regular season champions, fell to 42-11 overall.
Hailey Stockman proved why she was a worthy choice for CCAA Most Valuable Player, delivering three hits and three RBI in Friday night’s victory. Emily McEnaney enjoyed one of the biggest games of her short Wildcat career – the freshman went 3-for-3 and knocked in the game-winning run in the fateful seventh frame. All told, Chico State piled up a total of 11 hits against the Otters on the evening. ’Cats pitcher Sam Baker, battling her control the entire contest, still went the distance and struck out nine to rack up her ninth straight win and improve to 18-5 on the year.
After Monterey Bay stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning, Chico State got on the board in the top of the second when Stockman led off the frame with her 11th home run of the season. Later in the inning, the Wildcats loaded the bases with nobody out, but Otters starter Cori Reinhardt was able to wiggle out of the jam, forcing the ’Cats to be content with the one run.
Monterey Bay, despite loading the bases again in the third inning and getting runners to second and third in the fourth, were stymied by Baker, and in the top of the fifth Chico State increased its advantage when, with two outs, three straight singles by Bianca Lopez, Diana Payan and Stockman made it a 2-0 ballgame. The lead didn’t last long – in the bottom of the fifth, Jackie Serna homered for the Otters with two aboard to put Monterey Bay on top, 3-2.
That was the score facing the Wildcats when they went up to hit in the top of the seventh, and Britt Wright wasted little time getting aboard when she led off the inning with a base hit up the middle. Two batters later Payan drew a walk, and Stockman followed with a single to right to chase home Wright and tie the game at three apiece. McEnaney put the Wildcats ahead to stay with a two-out single to right to plate pinch-runner Jessie Minch, and Sam Quadt’s double to the left-center field fence provided some insurance, knocking in Stockman and McEnaney and extending the ’Cats’ lead to 6-3.
The final three outs didn’t come without a little drama, however, as Baker allowed the potential tying run to get to the plate by walking the first two batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh inning. But Baker reached back for something special, and literally slammed the door on any Otters comeback by fanning Alyssa Rivera and Nikki Rodriguez and striking out pinch-hitter Danica Arterburn looking to end it, locking down Chico State’s 6-3 victory.
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Saturday’s Chico State-UC San Diego game will feature a live internet broadcast beginning shortly before 2 p.m. To listen to the action, fans just need to visit the Wildcat Athletics website and click the
“Wildcat Webcast” button on the right side of the homepage.
Live Stats will also be available online.
