Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TURLOCK – For as many positives that the Chico State softball team took away from Friday's opening day of the Tournament of Champions, the Wildcats experienced almost as many negatives Saturday in falling to Simon Fraser 9-6 and Western Washington 5-3 at Pedretti Sports Complex in Turlock. After winning their first two games of the tourney, the 'Cats have dropped three straight to fall to Silver Bracket play Sunday, where Angel Shamblin's squad will take on Hawaii Pacific in a semifinal game slated for 12 p.m.
 
Chico State dipped to 19-17 with the two Saturday losses, and despite piling up 19 hits on the  day, the Wildcats hit into six double plays over the two games. One of the few bright spots for the 'Cats was the hitting of Desiree' Gonzalez, who collected five hits, a home run and six runs batted in Saturday to give her 10 hits and 11 RBI in five tournament games. Kelli Keefe and Sammi Ridgway added three hits apiece Saturday, with Alli Cook, Courtney Brown and Alex Molina chipping in with two safeties each.
 
In Saturday's first game against Simon Fraser, Chico State jumped out on top when Gonzalez singled home Cook in the top of first inning, but the Clan answered in their half of the frame, using three straight two-out RBI hits to take a 4-1 lead.
 
The Wildcats scored twice in the top of the second inning to pull within one, only to see Simon Fraser plate a pair of runs off Chico State reliever Cheyenne Sandoval to go up 6-3. Gonzalez struck again in the top of the fourth, singling home Keefe and Katy Weger to cut the deficit to 6-5. Simon Fraser used a three-run bottom of the fourth to take its biggest lead of the game, but the 'Cats made it a 9-6 contest in the top of the fifth inning as Ridgway cashed in Brown's leadoff double with a solid single to center.
 
That would be as close as the Wildcats would get. Chico State went down in order in the sixth, and in frustratingly fitting fashion, hit into a double play in the top of the seventh inning to end the game and give Simon Fraser the 9-6 victory. Brooke Langeloh (6-5) started for the 'Cats but lasted just two-thirds of an inning to take the loss.
 
Chico State drew first blood in its afternoon game against Western Washington when Ridgway led off the contest with a walk and eventually scored on a Gonzalez fielder's choice grounder. Molina was nearly perfect in the pitcher's circle over the first three innings, allowing just one hit and facing the minimum nine batters. The Vikings finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning – Alexie Levin's two-run double highlighted a four-run frame to put Western Washington on top 4-1.
 
The Wildcats pulled to within two in the top of the fifth inning when Gonzalez knocked in Keefe with a single to left field, but Western Washington used a Jordan Walley sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-2 ballgame. Chico State gave the Vikings a huge scare in its final at-bat – Gonzalez led off the top of the seventh with a home run to left field, and Amanda Cordeiro reached on an error to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Once again, the double play bug bit the 'Cats, as Molina bounced into a twin killing and Tori Zimmermann flied out to right to give Western Washington the 5-3 win. Molina (9-8) went three-and-a-third innings in the circle and was tagged with the loss.  
 
Fans can follow the action of Sunday's Silver Bracket semifinal game online with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website.