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Box Score 2 SEASIDE – The good news: the Chico State softball team didn't lose any ground Friday in its battle for the fourth and final California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament berth. The bad news: the Wildcats had no luck taming the offense of No. 4 Cal State Monterey Bay, which scored a combined 16 runs and banged out 20 hits to sweep a series-opening doubleheader in Seaside by scores of 8-0 and 8-4.
Despite the losses, Chico State (20-20 overall, 13-13 CCAA) remains just a game back of fourth place Sonoma State in the conference race, thanks to the Seawolves dropping both ends of their Friday doubleheader with No. 9 Humboldt State. Cal State Monterey Bay continues to sizzle – with the doubleheader sweep, the Otters have now won 19 straight and 29 of the last 30 to improve to 37-5 overall and 18-4 in CCAA play.
The 'Cats collected 11 hits on the day, with Alli Cook going 4-for-7 at the dish. Desiree' Gonzalez and Amanda Cordeiro had two hits apiece.
The Wildcats missed a couple of early chances to get on the board in game one of the twinbill. Cook was stranded at third base in the top of the first inning, and the 'Cats came away empty in the second despite loading the bases. Monterey Bay had the same situation in the bottom of the second, but Courtney Varela delivered a two-out, bases-clearing triple to give the Otters a 3-0 lead.
Chico State again loaded the bases in the top of the third, but Otters starting pitcher Cori Reinhardt once again turned the 'Cats away with no runs. That would turn out to be the Wildcats' last serious scoring threat, as Monterey Bay plated a run in the bottom of the fourth, then put the game away with four more in the fifth to cruise to the 8-0 win.
Brooke Langeloh (7-6) started in the pitcher's circle for Chico State and was charged with the game one loss.
The Otters jumped out in front in game two of Friday's double dip. An RBI single, a Wildcat error and a bases-loaded walk gave Monterey Bay a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. In the third the Otters went up 5-0 courtesy of a two-run homer by Nicole Pires.
The 'Cats cut the deficit to two in the top of the fourth inning with one swing of Brynn Lesovsky's bat. Following a ground-rule double by Gonzalez and a Cordeiro single, Lesovsky launched her first home run of the year over the left field fence to make it a 5-3 contest. Chico State scored again in the top of the fifth when Cook came home from third on a wild pitch, and suddenly it was a one run ballgame.
Monterey Bay promptly ended the suspense in the bottom of the fifth inning, using a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single by Bianca Noreiga to extend its advantage back to four. That would be more than enough cushion for Otters starting pitcher Lindsay Clarkson, who allowed just a seventh inning single to Cook the rest of the way, giving Monterey Bay the 8-4 victory and the doubleheader sweep.
Cook had three of the 'Cats' six hits in the nightcap. Starting pitcher Alex Molina (9-10) allowed just three earned runs in 2.2 innings, but was saddled with the loss.
The Wildcats and Otters wrap up their four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon. Fans not able to attend in person can follow the action online with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website.
