Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CHICO – The Chico State softball team had all that it could handle Friday in its series-opening doubleheader against Cal State East Bay – in both contests the Wildcats jumped out to big leads, then had to grind it out against a tenacious Pioneers squad to record a pair of victories at University Softball Field. The ’Cats, thanks to a productive offense that knocked out 24 hits on the day, won the first game 6-5 in 10 innings, then held on to beat East Bay 8-4 in the nightcap.

Chico State, winners of 11 of its last 15 games, sits at 13-10 on the season and in fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with an 11-7 conference mark. The Wildcats have been particularly effective at home this season – Friday’s doubleheader sweep ran the team’s won-lost record to 8-2 at University Softball Field. The two losses dropped Cal State East Bay to 7-17 overall and 5-13 in CCAA play.

Kayla Barber, starting at second base for the ’Cats, pounded out five hits on the afternoon, with Desiree’ Gonzalez and Alli Cook collecting four safeties apiece. Amanda Cordeiro and Marlee Rettig each chipped in with three hits in the two Chico State wins, while Kelli Keefe extended her current hitting streak to 10 straight games. 


The Wildcats combined a hit, an East Bay error, a Pioneers muff on a fielder’s choice grounder, a double steal and a sacrifice fly by McEnaney to score three times in the bottom of the second inning to extend their lead to 5-0. But Cal East Bay chipped away, plating a run in the top of the third, and then took advantage of two Chico State errors to score three times in the top of the fifth to make it a 5-4 game. McConnell made the lead stand up until the top of the seventh, when Chelsie Kakela reached on an error and came around to score on a double Sara Holdridge. The Wildcats got the potential winning run to second in the bottom of the seventh, but came away empty to send the game into extra innings.

The ’Cats and Pioneers traded zeroes until the bottom of the 10th, when two-out singles by Barber and Rettig set the table for Keefe, who grounded a sharp single through the ride side to chase home Barber and give Chico State the 6-5 victory.

Cheyenne Sandoval (2-1) tossed four innings of scoreless relief for the Wildcats to pick up the win, while East Bay’s Andi Andersen (1-6) took the hard-luck loss despite allowing just one run in seven-and-two-thirds innings out of the pen. The ’Cats collected a dozen hits – all singles – in the win; Barber finished the game 3-for-5, with Gonzalez, Cook and Cordeiro contributing two hits apiece.

In game two, Gonzalez came through with an RBI single and the Wildcats scored another run on an East Bay error to go up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning, then in the second Keefe sent a sacrifice fly to deep right field to bring home Lilli Consiglio to make it a 3-0 ballgame. East Bay got on the board with a run in the top of the third, but Chico State answered with four in its half of the inning – the Wildcats sent 10 batters to the plate, and used RBI singles by Barber and Rettig, a bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to open up a 7-1 advantage.

East Bay once again fought back – after the two teams exchanged runs in the fourth inning, the Pioneers scored in both the fifth and sixth innings to pull to within striking distance. But Chico State starting pitcher Alex Molina short-circuited any dramatic comeback attempt by tossing a scoreless top of the seventh, giving the Wildcats the 8-4 victory and the doubleheader sweep.

Molina (8-3) struck out seven and registered her eighth complete game of the season in picking up the win. Chico State put up another 12 in the hit column, with Gonzalez, Cook, Barber and Rettig each collecting two safeties in the nightcap.

The Wildcats and Pioneers conclude their four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon. Fans not able to make the twinbill in person can follow the action on the internet with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website.