CARSON – The battle plan for the Chico State softball team heading into its regular-season ending series against Cal State Dominguez Hills was about as basic as it gets: pile up the wins and put pressure on the two other teams fighting for the final California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament berth. The Wildcats followed that plan to perfection Friday, taking both ends of their doubleheader with the Toros by scores of 7-1 and 10-6, eliminating Dominguez Hills from postseason play and forcing Cal State San Bernardino into a must-win situation in its still-to-be-played weekend series against UC San Diego.
 
The two Friday victories moved the Wildcats to 26-18 on the season and 19-15 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). With the doubleheader sweep, Chico is, for the moment, in fourth place in the conference standings, one-half game ahead of San Bernardino. The Coyotes (25-23, 17-14 CCAA) are still in the driver's seat for the fourth and final CCAA Championship Tournament berth, but their series-opening doubleheader with UC San Diego Friday was rained out. While Chico State has just two regular season games remaining, San Bernardino still has four to play against UC San Diego, with doubleheaders now scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in La Jolla.

 

Chico State racked up a combined 22 hits Friday, with several players enjoying multi-hit days. Desiree' Gonzalez had four hits – all for extra bases – and drove in five runs to lead the Wildcat attack. The junior also re-arranged the Chico State record books, belting her 21st career big fly in game one of the doubleheader to become the program's all-time home run leader. Alli Cook also had four hits Friday; Tori Zimmermann delivered three hits and knocked in four runs; Courtney Brown had three hits and two RBI, while Ashley Huff, Emily McEnaney, Brynn Lesovsky and Kelli Keefe chipped in with two safeties apiece. 
 
In the first game of Friday's doubleheader, Cal State Dominguez Hills rode a solo home run by Kaci McGinnis to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. It would turn out to be the lone run allowed by Wildcats starting pitcher Haley Gilham, who shut out the Toros over the final five innings.
 
Chico State missed an opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning by leaving the bases loaded, but in the following frame the 'Cats broke through when McEnaney singled home Huff with the bags juiced to knot up the contest 1-1.
 
The Wildcats took complete charge in the top of the seventh inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six times. After an error and back-to-back bunt singles by Huff and Cook loaded the bases, Zimmermann rifled an RBI single to center to put Chico State in front 2-1. McEnaney followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Huff, then Gonzalez cleared the bases with her record-setting home run – the three-run blast giving the Wildcats a 6-1 lead.
 
The 'Cats weren't through, though, as Keefe doubled and came home on Brown's single to left field. Gilham proceeded to toss a scoreless bottom of the seventh to lock down Chico State's 7-1 win. Gilham struck out six to record her 16th complete game of the year and improve her season record to 13-8.
 
The Wildcat offense picked up where it left off in game two of the twinbill. Gonzalez ripped a two-out double to left-center field to chase home Cook in the top of the first, then later in the inning back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Keefe and Brown forced home two more runs to give the 'Cats a quick 3-0 lead.
 
Chico State extended its advantage in the top of the second when Huff led off the inning with a double and scored on a Zimmermann groundout. Dominguez Hills went big fly twice in the bottom of the second, as Analisa Nicholson hit a solo homer and Alexandra Mootry followed with a two-run bomb to pull the Toros to within 4-3. The Wildcats got all three runs back in the top of the third thanks to a bases-loaded walk to Cook and a two-run single by Zimmermann, making the score 7-3.
 
It stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Toros combined five walks and an infield single to score three times and creep to within 7-6. Gilham was hurriedly summoned from the Wildcat bullpen and, with the bases loaded, struck out Alys Cruz-Fernandez to end the inning and get Chico State back in the dugout still clinging to a one-run lead.
 
In the top of the sixth, the 'Cats scored a pair of runs to go up 9-6. A McEnaney single and Gonzalez double set the table for Keefe and Lesovsky, who both delivered RBI singles to give Gilham and the Wildcats some badly-needed breathing room.
 
Chico State added one more insurance run in the top of the seventh when Gonzalez lined a two-out double to right-center to plate Cook. Now with a four-run cushion, Gilham went back out to the pitcher's circle and secured the final three outs to give the Wildcats the 10-6 win and the big doubleheader sweep. Pitcher Brooke Langeloh (11-9) went the first four innings for the 'Cats to get credit for the win, with Gilham earning her second save of the season.
 
The Wildcats and Toros conclude the four-game series – and the regular season – with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. at Toro Diamond.