Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SAN BERNARDINO – The Chico State softball team went down to southern California hoping to shake off its sub-par performance in last weekend’s Mizuno Tournament of Champions with a much-needed bounce-back in conference play. Instead, the “L’s” continued to mount for the Wildcats, as Cal State San Bernardino came out on top in both ends of Friday’s series-opening doubleheader at Coyote Field, winning 2-1 and 6-4 to send the ’Cats to their ninth defeat in the last 10 games.

With Friday’s losses, Chico State drops to 19-19 overall, though they remain in fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 16-10 conference record. Cal State San Bernardino improved to 15-29 on the season and 9-17 in CCAA play.

Except for the sixth inning of game two, run production was hard to come by for the Wildcats, though they had their share of baserunners in both contests. Emily McEnaney, Alex Molina and Brooke Langeloh each had three hits on the afternoon, while Desiree’ Gonzalez delivered safeties in both games Friday to run her current hitting streak to eight straight.

Chico State had a chance to open the day’s scoring in the second inning of game one when Molina and Langeloh delivered one-out singles, but both were stranded in scoring position. In the bottom of the second, Cal State San Bernardino took a 1-0 lead when Jamie Leffingwell doubled off Wildcat starter Kayla McConnell and scored on a base hit by Na’Tavia Lee.

The ’Cats answered back in the top of the third – Taylor Hanamaikai was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a Kayla Barber sacrifice bunt and came home when McEnaney doubled to center. Gonzalez followed with a single to center, but Chico State’s attempt to go out in front was foiled when McEnaney was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

San Bernardino went back on top in the bottom of the third when Alyssa Flores doubled home Charlotte Galzote. That run turned out to be the game-winner – the Wildcats got the potential tying run aboard in both the sixth and seventh inning, but the Coyotes turned the rally away each time to lock up the 2-1 victory.

McConnell struck out five in tossing her eighth complete game of the season, but suffered the loss to fall to 5-9 on the year. Molina had two of Chico State’s six hits in the contest.

In game two of Friday’s double dip, San Bernardino again drew first blood when Galzote cashed in Leffingwell’s leadoff double with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. The Wildcats had plenty of opportunities to get into the run column but could not deliver a key hit, stranding nine baserunners – seven in scoring position – through the first five innings.

Keyed by a bases-loaded double from Galzote, San Bernardino scored five times in the bottom of the fifth to increase its advantage to 6-0. Chico State answered with four runs in the top of the sixth – Marlee Rettig’s fielder’s choice grounder plated Amanda Cordeiro; McEnaney chased home Cheyenne Sandoval from third with a sacrifice fly and Gonzalez knocked in Barber and Rettig with a single to left-center, but it was a case of too little, too late as the Coyotes held on for the 6-4 win and the doubleheader sweep.

Molina went the distance in the pitcher’s circle and took the loss to dip to 11-6 on the year. The Wildcats piled up 10 hits in the nightcap, with Barber, McEnaney and Langeloh collecting two safeties apiece.

Chico State and Cal State San Bernardino complete the weekend series Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action on the internet with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website.

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