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Box Score 2 CHICO – East Coast met West Coast Saturday at University Softball Field, as the Chico State Wildcats hosted New York's Pace University in a non-conference doubleheader. The afternoon started on a lighthearted note, with both teams piling onto one another for a mega-group photo, but once umpire Will Macedo yelled "play ball," the 'Cats got down to business, pounding out 19 total hits to sweep the visiting Setters by scores of 7-3 and 9-1, extending Chico State's season-high winning streak to five straight.
Saturday's victories improved the Wildcats' record to 12-11 on the year – the first time Chico State has been over the .500 mark this season. The 'Cats continued to play well at home, pushing their record at University Softball Field to 8-2. Pace University, a member of the Division II Northeast-10 Conference, slipped to 1-3 on the season with the doubleheader loss.
Emily McEnaney was the 'Cats top run producer Saturday, delivering two extra base hits – including her second homer of the season – and driving in five runs. Kelli Keefe was a perfect 4-for-4 on the day, scoring four times and stealing two bases, while Sammi Ridgway collected three hits, two RBI, scored three times and stole four bases. Desiree' Gonzalez also chipped in with three hits and three RBI for the victorious Wildcats.
Pace opened the scoring in game one with an unearned run in the top of the first inning off Wildcat starting pitcher Alex Molina. Gonzalez got Chico State even in the bottom of the first with a two-out RBI single to plate Ridgway, but the Setters went back up 2-1 in the top of the third when Jeane Drury tripled and came home on a single by Hana Wright.
The 'Cats went ahead to stay in the bottom of the third inning when Keefe scored on an Alli Cook bunt and McEnaney followed with a "no doubter" big fly down the left field line, giving Chico State a 4-2 lead. Pace got a run back in the top of the fourth, but the Wildcats answered with three in their half of the frame – Courtney Brown scored from third on an infield single by Keefe, then Ridgway ripped a double down the left field line to plate Keefe and Katy Weger to make it a 7-3 game.
Cheyenne Sandoval, coming in from the Chico State bullpen, blanked Pace over the final three innings, helping the Wildcats secure the 7-3 victory. Sandoval got credit for the win to even her season record at 3-3. Ridgway had three of the 'Cats' eight hits in the contest.
Game two of the double dip saw Pace quickly jump out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but leadoffs walks to Ridgway and Cook in the bottom of the inning were cashed in on a sacrifice fly by McEnaney and a Gonzalez RBI single to right to put the Wildcats on top 2-1. A Setters error and another McEnaney sac fly helped Chico State score two more in the bottom of the second to extend its advantage to 4-1.
With Brooke Langeloh in the pitcher's circle striking out a career-high seven batters, Pace was unable to push another run across, and the 'Cats pulled away with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning – McEnaney providing an RBI double and Gonzalez a run-scoring sac fly – and two more in the fifth to balloon its lead to 8-1. Briana Contreras collected her first career hit as a Wildcat and completed the game's scoring with an RBI single to right, giving Chico State the 9-1 win and the doubleheader sweep.
Langeloh improved to 3-1 by tossing her third complete game of the season; Keefe went 3-for-3 and Gonzalez and Tori Zimmermann each collected two hits as the Wildcats racked up 11 safeties in the nightcap.
The Wildcats return to CCAA conference action next weekend, traveling to the Bay Area for a four-game series with San Francisco State. Friday's series-opening doubleheader gets underway at 1 p.m., with a Saturday twinbill starting at 12:00 p.m.
