CHICO – Visions of a series sweep were dancing in the heads of the Chico State softball team as they stepped onto University Softball Field Saturday in the doubleheader finale of a four-game set with San Francisco State. Fresh off taking both ends of Friday's series opener, the Wildcats were looking to finish the season's opening month with a seven-game winning streak…but the visiting Gators had other ideas. The 'Cats concluded February play having to settle for a series split, as San Francisco State topped Chico State twice Saturday by finals of 3-2 and 5-2.
 
The losses dropped the Wildcats to 8-4 on the season and 5-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). San Francisco State snapped its 12-game losing streak with Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the 'Cats, improving to 3-13 overall and 2-10 in CCAA play.

 

The Chico State offense was held to just 12 hits over the two games, but six were for extra bases. Ashley Huff had three hits on the afternoon including her first home run as a Wildcat, and Desiree' Gonzalez smacked a round-tripper in the second game of the twinbill. Huff finished the day with three hits, with Gonzalez, Alli Cook and Brynn Lesovsky picking up two safeties apiece.
 
Chico State history was also made in the first game of the doubleheader, as Alli Cook swiped second to become the program's all-time stolen base leader with 54 career thefts.
 
While the 'Cats' offense has been extremely productive early in the season, Saturday was filled with wasted scoring opportunities. Chico State stranded 10 runners in the first game, and in the nightcap the team gave itself a chance to rally back, getting the tying run to the plate with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh inning. But San Francisco State thwarted the Wildcats at nearly every turn to post the back-to-back victories.
 
The Wildcats drew first blood in the opener of the twinbill, going up 1-0 when Huff scored from third on a Tori Zimmermann groundout. The Gators tied things up with a run in the top of the second, and then went up 3-1 in the fourth when Marisa Andrade smoked a two-run double down the right field line.
 
The Wildcats would get one back in the bottom of the fourth when Lesovsky doubled and came home on a two-bagger off the bat of Amanda Cordeiro, but were unable to score after loading the bases in the fifth inning and then stranded Katy Weger at third in the sixth. The missed scoring chances proved to be costly, as the 'Cats went quietly in the bottom of the seventh to fall to the Gators 3-2. Brooke Langeloh started in the pitcher's circle for Chico State and was saddled with her first loss of the season, dropping to 6-1 overall.
 
San Francisco State opened the second game of the double dip with a run off Haley Gilham in the top of the first inning, but the Wildcats answered with a double dose of the long ball. Gonzalez tied the contest in the bottom of the second with a solo homer to dead center field, then one inning later Huff cleared the outfield fence in left-center to put the 'Cats on top 2-1. Gilham made the lead hold up until the Gators struck for three runs in the top of the sixth inning – Andrade providing the big blow with a bases-loaded double.
 
San Francisco State added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to make it 5-2, but Chico State fought back, getting the first two batters aboard in the bottom of the inning. But the 'Cats' late rally short-circuited with a double-play grounder, and the Gators hung on for the victory and the doubleheader sweep.
 
The Wildcats are on the road to open the month of March, traveling to Turlock next weekend to take on Cal State Stanislaus. The four-game series will feature a Friday doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m., followed by a Saturday twinbill at noon.