TURLOCK – The Chico State softball team wrapped up its most productive weekend of the still-young season Saturday, taking both ends of a doubleheader from Cal State Stanislaus to complete a four-game series sweep. The Wildcats needed an extra frame to down the Warriors 8-5 in the first game, then scored six runs in the final two innings of the nightcap to post a 9-4 victory at Warrior Softball Field in Turlock.
 
The two Saturday wins moved Chico State to 12-4 on the year and 9-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State Stanislaus fell to 9-15 and 3-13 in CCAA play.
 

The Wildcats, who entered the double dip hitting .331 as a team, pounded out 28 hits on the day. Emily McEnaney had four hits – including two home runs – and knocked in five runs, while Alli Cook collected five hits and two RBI on the afternoon. Amanda Cordeiro also had four hits, with Courtney Brown, Tori Zimmermann and Kelli Keefe contributing three safeties apiece. Zimmermann also chipped in with four RBI.
 
The Wildcats roared out of the gate in the opener of Saturday's twinbill, taking a 4-0 lead in the top of the first on RBI doubles by Zimmermann and McEnaney and a run-scoring single off the bat of Brown. Stanislaus cut the lead in half, scoring twice in the bottom of the first, then trimmed the deficit to one with a run in the bottom of the second. A Chico State error allowed the Warriors to plate an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game 4-4.
 
McEnaney needed just one swing of the bat to put the 'Cats on top – her home run to left field leading off the fifth inning gave Chico State a 5-4 advantage. The Wildcats made the one-run lead stand up until the bottom of the seventh, when Stanislaus tied the contest and loaded the bases with two outs. Chico State reliever Haley Gilham came through in the clutch, striking out Deenah San Luis to send the game into extra innings.
 
The 'Cats were determined not to let the game get away. In the top of the eighth, Cook doubled to left to chase home Keefe to put Chico State back on top; McEnaney followed with an RBI single and a Warriors error resulted in a big insurance run to make the score 8-5. Gilham returned to the pitcher's circle and set down Stanislaus in order in the bottom of the eighth to lock down the Wildcats victory.
 
Chico State piled up 16 hits in the contest, with Cook going 4-for-5 and McEnaney 3-for-5 with three runs batted in. Gilham tossed an inning-and-two-thirds of scoreless relief to get credit for the victory.
 
Chico State jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the nightcap, with Brynn Lesovsky scoring on an Ashley Huff sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning, and Cordeiro doubling home McEnaney in the top of the third. Stanislaus took the lead in the bottom of the inning, as two Wildcat errors led to three Warriors runs. The 'Cats knotted up the contest 3-3 in the top of the fourth when a Warriors miscue on a Zimmermann grounder allowed Huff to score from third.
 
In the top of the sixth inning Chico State went back on top, with McEnaney again providing a big fly. Following a one-out double by Zimmermann, McEnaney cleared the fence in left field – her fifth homer of the season giving the Wildcats a 5-3 lead.
 
Stanislaus led off the bottom of the sixth with a double but came away empty, and the Wildcats responded by breaking the game open in the top of the seventh inning – a bases-loaded groundout by Cook plated Brown, Zimmermann followed with a two-run single and scored on a Gonzalez double to left to stretch the 'Cats' lead to 9-3. Stanislaus scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but it was far too little and far too late as Chico State recorded the final three outs, wrapping up the 9-4 victory to sweep the doubleheader and the series.
 
The Wildcats had 12 hits in the finale, and Gilham allowed just one earned in going the distance to notch her second win of the day and improve her season record to 4-3.  
 
The Wildcats are back in action next weekend, traveling to Southern California to take on Cal State San Bernardino. The four-game series begins with a doubleheader Friday slated to get underway at 1:00 p.m.