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Box Score 2 SAN FRANCISCO – Runs were hard to come by Friday for the Chico State softball team, but thanks to gutsy pitching performances by Alex Molina and Brooke Langeloh, the Wildcats generated just enough offense to take the first two tilts of their four-game road series with San Francisco State. A Desiree' Gonzalez homer powered Molina and the 'Cats to a 2-0 win in the opener of Friday's doubleheader, then Langeloh went the distance in the nightcap, scattering seven hits as Chico State completed the sweep by a score of 2-1.
Friday's wins extended Chico State's current winning streak to seven straight and moved the Wildcats to 14-11 overall and 10-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). San Francisco State slipped to 9-20 on the season and 5-13 in CCAA play.
The 'Cats' offense rapped out a dozen hits on the day, with Emily McEnaney delivering a pair of doubles among her three hits. Desiree' Gonzalez had two hits, including her third home run of the season, while Alli Cook and Kelli Keefe also contributed two hits.
Game one of Friday's double dip was an old-fashioned pitcher's duel between Molina and Emily Gibson of San Francisco State. Early on, though, Molina had to tap-dance her way out of several jams – she was able to escape from a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the second inning; got out of the third when McEnaney made a circus catch of a blooper hit by Selina Rodriguez and turned it into an inning-ending double play, followed by Molina wiggling out of a second-and-third, one-out situation in the fourth to keep the Gators off the scoreboard.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, didn't record their first hit – a single by Amanda Cordeiro – until the top of the fourth inning, and could only manage four total against Gibson in the contest. Two of those hits, though, came back-to-back in the top of the sixth inning and accounted for the only runs of the game. With one out, McEnaney doubled to left field, and Gonzalez followed with a big fly over the center field fence. Molina made the lead stand up, blanking the Gators in the sixth and seventh innings to give Chico State the 2-0 win.
Molina (6-6) allowed just four hits en route to her eighth complete game and third shutout of the season; Gibson suffered the tough-luck loss for San Francisco State to fall to 5-9 on the year.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap – in the top of the first inning, Cook singled, stole second and scored on a double by McEnaney; then in the second, Brynn Lesovsky led off the frame with a single and came home on a two-out Gators error to put Chico State on top 2-0. San Francisco State finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the 'Cats' lead in half when Jennifer Lewis scored on a Kylie Grabowski sacrifice fly.
Langeloh would not allow the Gators to score again. The righthander kept the Wildcats in front by getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth and tossing a 1-2-3 sixth inning. San Francisco State got the potential tying run aboard with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Langeloh induced a fielder's choice grounder and a fly out to end the contest, giving the 'Cats the 2-1 win and the doubleheader sweep.
Langeloh (4-1) struck out four in notching her fourth straight complete game victory. McEnaney and Cook each went 2-for-4 as Chico State collected eight hits in the nightcap.
The Wildcats and Gators conclude their four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon. Fans unable to make the games in person can follow the action online with Live Stats through the Wildcat Athletics website.
