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Box Score 2 SAN FRANCISCO – The Chico State softball team was within one win Saturday of pulling off its first four-game series sweep of the season, but after taking the first game of its doubleheader with San Francisco State 5-1, extending its winning streak to eight in a row, the Wildcats fell victim to shaky defense in the nightcap, as two errors led to four unearned runs and handed the host Gators a 5-1 victory.
The doubleheader split moved the 'Cats to 15-12 overall and 11-9 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). San Francisco State, avoiding the series sweep, went to 10-21 on the season and 6-14 in CCAA play.
Alli Cook collected four hits on the afternoon, with Sammi Ridgway contributing three safeties. Desiree' Gonzalez, Amanda Cordeiro, Tori Zimmermann and Kelli Keefe each had two hits for the Wildcats, with Keefe extending her current hitting streak to eight straight.
Chico State wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. RBI singles by Cordeiro, Zimmermann and Alex Molina highlighted a four-run first inning, then Ridgway led off the top of the second with her second home run of the year to give Chico State an early 5-0 lead.
Molina, getting the start in the pitcher's circle, retired the first nine San Francisco State batters she faced until the Gators broke through for a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. San Francisco State had a chance to cut the deficit further in the fifth, putting runners at second and third with one out, but Molina retired the next two hitters to turn the Gators away empty.
San Francisco State made some noise in the bottom of the seventh as the first two batters of the inning reached base, but Molina again snuffed out the rally by getting the next three hitters to nail down the Wildcats' 5-1 win.
Molina (7-6) scattered four hits in posting her ninth complete game of the season. The 'Cats banged out 11 hits in the victory, with Cook going 3-for-4 and Ridgway, Cordeiro and Zimmermann picking up two hits apiece.
The Wildcats came out aggressively in game two of the twinbill, but were denied drawing first blood when Ridgway, trying to score on a two-out single by Gonzalez, was gunned down at the plate in the top of the first inning. San Francisco State broke the seal in the bottom of the third when Megan Clark scored on a single by Selina Rodriguez, then in the fourth the Gators combined two singles, a sacrifice bunt and a Wildcat error to plate another run and go up 2-0.
It stayed that way until Chico State rallied in the top of the sixth inning. The Wildcats delivered four straight one-out singles – Ridgway, Cook and Keefe setting the table for Gonzalez, whose base hit up the middle plated Ridgway to cut the Gators lead in half. The 'Cats' chance to go out in front fizzled, though, as they left the bases loaded and trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the sixth.
San Francisco State proceeded to put the game away in its half of the sixth, as another Chico State error led to three unearned runs and extend the Gators' advantage to 5-1. The Wildcats went quietly in the seventh, giving San Francisco State the victory and allowing the Gators to salvage the finale of the four-game set.
The 'Cats mustered just five hits in the nightcap, with Gonzalez going 2-for-3. Brooke Langeloh (4-2) allowed just one earned run in going the distance in the pitcher's circle, but was saddled with the loss.
The Wildcats return to University Softball Field next weekend to host a four-game set against Cal State San Bernardino. Friday's series-opening doubleheader begins at 1:00 p.m., with Saturday's twinbill getting underway at 11:00 a.m.
