CHICO – The Chico State softball team’s Saturday doubleheader against No. 10 Cal State Dominguez Hills played out like an unwelcome carbon copy of the previous day’s series-opening twinbill. The Wildcats, ranked 15th in the nation, received another gem in the first game from righthander Sam Baker on the way to a 3-0 victory, but the Toros came back in the nightcap to notch a win, downing the ’Cats 5-0 to earn a split of the doubleheader and the four-game set at University Softball Field.
Chico State moves to 27-13 overall, and despite the doubleheader split, slips to fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with an 18-8 conference record. Cal State Dominguez Hills, sitting atop the CCAA standings, is now 38-10 on the season and 24-6 in conference play.
Britt Wright continued to wield a hot bat for the Wildcats, collecting three hits on the afternoon. Hailey Stockman, Diana Payan and Rachel Failla each had two hits for a Chico State offense that did all it’s scoring in the first inning of game one, and then were shut out over the next 12 frames.
In game one of Saturday’s double dip, the ’Cats staked Baker to a quick 3-0 lead, as Stockman and Sam Quadt roped back-to-back RBI doubles in the bottom of the first inning, while Payan followed with a run-scoring single. Meanwhile, Baker was flirting with yet another perfect game, setting down the first 13 Dominguez Hills batters she faced. The perfecto went out the window when Melissa Pacheco was hit by a pitch, but Baker still had a no-hitter intact heading into the sixth inning. After the first two Toros batters were retired, Veronica Vazquez shot a clean double to left field, breaking up the no-no, but Baker calmly got the final out of the inning. She then retired Dominguez Hills in order in the seventh to settle for a one-hitter and lead the ’Cats to the 3-0 win. Baker (13-5) fanned four in notching her sixth shutout and 12th complete game of the season. Jessica Harper (18-7) took the loss for the Toros.
BOX SCORE - Game One
For the second straight day, Steph Jimenez was the star of the pitcher’s circle in the nightcap. After tossing all 11 innings of Friday’s 4-3 Toros win, Jimenez went the distance Saturday in blanking Chico State, allowing just three baserunners the entire contest. Wright and Stockman were the lone Wildcats to notch a hashmark in the hit column; Dominguez Hills, on the other hand, collected nine hits off ’Cats’ starter Jessica McDermott and another off reliever Kayla McConnell. The Toros went up 3-0 in the top of the second on an RBI single by Brittany Brenner and a two-run double off the bat of Khryssi Steele. Dominguez Hills extended its lead to 5-0 with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth, and that was more than enough support for Jimenez, who set down 10 of the last 11 she faced to secure the win and give the Toros the doubleheader and series split. Jimenez improved her season record to 19-2 with the complete game victory; McDermott took the loss to fall to 7-5 on the year.
BOX SCORE - Game Two
Chico State plays a doubleheader Tuesday, traveling to Seaside to take on Cal State Monterey Bay to make up its March 24th twinbill rainout; game one will get underway at noon. The Wildcats are back at University Softball Field Friday and Saturday to play its final regular season home games, squaring off against Cal State San Bernardino in a pair of doubleheaders.
