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Box Score 2 CHICO – It may seem a bit early in the season, but try telling that to the Chico State and Cal State Monterey Bay softball teams. Any question as to whether it’s officially crunch time in the race for the four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament berths was answered Friday at University Softball Field, as the Wildcats and Ottters squared off in the opening doubleheader of an important four-game series between two of the CCAA’s best teams. It would prove to be the ’Cats’ day, as Chico State took both ends of the twinbill by scores of 6-4 and 3-1.
Chico State has now won six in a row to improve to 17-10 on the year, with Friday’s wins keeping the Wildcats in a tie with UC San Diego for third place in the CCAA with a 15-7 conference record. Cal State Monterey Bay saw its own six-game winning streak go by the boards Friday, as the Otters dipped to 18-15 overall and 11-11 in CCAA play.
The Wildcats featured an evenly distributed offense, with five players enjoying a multi-hit day. Alli Cook collected all three of her hits in game two of the doubleheader, with Kelli Keefe, Emily McEnaney, Kayla Barber and Marlee Rettig each picking up a pair of safeties. With a knock in each contest, Keefe extended her current hitting streak to a team-high 14 games.
Things didn’t start too encouragingly for the Wildcats in game one of the double dip, as Monterey Bay took advantage of some mental miscues by the Chico State infield to plate three runs in the top of the first inning. It stayed 3-0 until the ’Cats exploded in the bottom of the third, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six times. A fielder’s choice grounder by Alex Molina plated Chico State’s first run, then Kayla Barber and Marlee Rettig delivered RBI singles to knot things up at three apiece. Taylor Hanamaikai put the Wildcats in front with a big two-out, two-run single, then combined with Rettig on a double steal to score another run to make it a 6-3 ballgame.
The Otters produced a run in the top of the fourth inning and got the tying run to the plate with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Wildcat pitcher Alex Molina got Lauren Ermitano to fly out to center field to end it, giving Chico State the 6-4 victory. Molina went the distance for the 10th time this season to improve her win-loss record to 10-3.
In the nightcap, it was the Wildcats that jumped out in front – McEnaney singled home Cook in the bottom of the first inning, then in the second Rettig led off with a single, was doubled to third by Cook and scored on a passed ball. Cook would come home on a base hit by Keefe to give the ’Cats a 3-0 lead.
Monterey Bay had several chances to whittle down the deficit, but Chico State starting pitcher Kayla McConnell kept the Otters off the scoreboard and went into the seventh still protecting the ’Cats’ three-run cushion. The Otters made it interesting in the final frame, stringing together four hits to plate a run and load the bases with only one out. McConnell came up big in the clutch, getting Lindsey Clarkson to line out to Hanamaikai at third and inducing a grounder to McEnaney at first to end it, giving the Wildcats the 3-1 win and the doubleheader sweep. McConnell (4-5) struck out four en route to her sixth compete game of the season.
Chico State and Cal State Monterey Bay wrap up the four-game set Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon. It’s also “Not One More” Day at University Softball Field, with a brief pregame presentation by the Not One More organization promoting education and help to those struggling with drug addiction.
Fans who can’t make it to Saturday’s doubleheader in person can follow the action online with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website.
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