SAN BERNARDINO – Whether or not Friday the 13th had anything to do with it, the Chico State softball team must have felt snake-bit in its series-opening doubleheader with Cal State San Bernardino. The Wildcats dropped both ends of the twinbill, first coming up on the short end of a pitcher's duel in the opener, losing 3-1, then committing seven errors to hand the host Coyotes a 5-1 win in the nightcap.
Chico State fell to 12-6 overall with the two Friday losses and slipped to 9-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State San Bernardino used the doubleheader sweep to even its season record at 13-13 and improve to 5-8 in CCAA play.
Though scoring only two runs, the Wildcat offense cranked out 15 hits on the day, with Emily McEnaney and Brynn Lesovsky leading the way with three safeties apiece.
In the first game of Friday's twinbill, the Coyotes plated their three runs in the first two frames. Melissa Roberts tripled home Alyssa Ramos and scored on a double by Cassandra Williams in the bottom of the first inning, then Nicole Nobbe delivered an RBI double in the second to put San Bernardino up 3-0. Williams would make the lead stand up, scattering five hits over the first six innings, with the Wildcats unable to advance a runner past second base.
Chico State rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring what turned out to be its lone run of the game on an Ashley Huff single up the middle. The Wildcats got the potential tying runs aboard with just one out, but Williams snuffed out the late-inning uprising, getting both Alli Cook and Tori Zimmermann to fly out to end the ballgame and preserve the Coyotes' 3-1 victory.
Huff had two of Chico State's seven hits in the contest. Brooke Langeloh started in the pitcher's circle for the 'Cats and went the distance, allowing three runs on seven hits, but took the loss to fall to 7-2 on the year.
The Wildcats drew first blood in the nightcap, when Desiree' Gonzalez reached base on a third strike wild pitch to lead off the top of the second inning and came around to score when Lesovsky's infield single was thrown away by San Bernardino third baseman Mary Menicucci. Chico State gave the run right back in the bottom of the second, when a leadoff walk was cashed in on a Wildcats throwing error to tie up the contest at 1-1.
The 'Cats tried to re-take the lead in the top of the third, but Cook was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on a base hit by McEnaney to end the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, San Bernardino went on top 3-1 thanks to two Wildcat errors, a double steal and an RBI bunt single.
Two Chico State errors led to a San Bernardino run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the Coyotes completed the scoring with a run in the sixth, taking advantage of another pair of Wildcat miscues. Despite all this, the 'Cats still managed to get the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh inning, but with the bases loaded and one out, Huff forced Haley Gilham at home on a fielder's choice grounder, and Marlee Rettig flied out to left to give San Bernardino the 5-1 win and the doubleheader sweep.
The Wildcats actually doubled up the Coyotes in the hit column in game two, with eight safeties in the contest; McEnaney and Lesovsky delivering two hits apiece. Gilham didn't allow an earned run while going the distance for the 'Cats in the pitcher's circle, but was saddled with the loss to fall to 4-4 on the season.
The Wildcats and Coyotes wrap up the four-game series with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action online with Live Stats and live streaming video through the Wildcat Athletics website.
