CHICO – With two of the top pitching staffs in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) going head-to-head, it stands to reason that runs would be a rare commodity. Such was the case Friday in the series-opening doubleheader between Chico State and UC San Diego – with the conference's second- and third-ranked pitching corps squaring off, only four runs were scored in 15 innings of action. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they all belonged to the Tritons, who won the opener 1-0 in eight innings before sweeping the twinbill with a 3-0 whitewash of the 'Cats at University Softball Field.
 
Chico State has now dropped its last three contests to slip to 20-12 overall and 13-9 in the CCAA. The Wildcats remain in fourth place in the conference standings, but UC San Diego – which started the day in seventh place – made up some valuable ground with Friday's two shutout victories, improving to 21-15 on the season and 11-11 in CCAA play.

 

The Wildcat offense, which entered the series hitting a collective .324, was completely shut down by the UC San Diego tandem of Hannah Duarte and Alexis Edwards, who combined to limit Chico State to six hits the entire afternoon, with only one going for extra bases. Desiree' Gonzalez was the lone Wildcat with a multi-hit day, delivering a hit in both ends of the doubleheader.
 
The Tritons continued its recent trend of dominating the 'Cats on their home field – dating back to 2007, UC San Diego is 14-1 against Chico State at University Softball Field.
 
Game one of the doubleheader saw both Duarte and Wildcat starting pitcher Haley Gilham wiggle out of multiple jams. Chico State stranded Ashley Huff at third base in the bottom of the first inning, then came away empty after Gonzalez led off the second with a triple down the right field line. The Tritons, meanwhile, left the bases loaded in the top of the fourth inning and squandered a second and third, one-out situation in the fifth.
 
The game remained scoreless as both teams went out in order in the seventh, forcing extra innings. In the top of the eighth, UC San Diego broke through with what turned out to be the only run of the contest. Two singles and a Chico State error loaded the bases with one out, and pinch-hitter Bianca Devoto was able to coax a walk from Gilham to bring home Kendall Woken and put the Tritons on top 1-0. The Wildcats avoided further damage, but could not answer in the bottom of the inning – despite getting the potential tying run aboard via a two-out walk to Huff, Alli Cook grounded back to Duarte to end it, giving UC San Diego the 1-0 victory. Gilham went the distance for the 'Cats, allowing one unearned run on seven hits, but took the loss to fall to 10-6 on the year.
 
Brooke Langeloh and Edwards locked horns in the nightcap, and the two pitchers matched each other zero for zero through the first three frames. UC San Diego did all of its damage in the top of the fourth inning, scoring on a McKenna Clewett bunt single and a two-run double by Kelsi Maday. Chico State's best chance to get on the board came in the bottom of the sixth, when singles by Gonzalez and Brynn Lesovsky put the potential tying run at the plate with only one out. The Tritons summoned Duarte from out of the bullpen, who promptly got Tori Zimmermann and Amanda Cordeiro to fly out to end the Wildcat threat.
 
The 'Cats once again tried to climb back into the contest in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Huff walked and Cook reached on an error, but Lesovsky grounded back to the pitcher's circle for the final out, as UC San Diego locked down the 3-0 win and the doubleheader sweep. Langeloh struck out seven in tossing her seventh complete game of the season for the Wildcats, but took the loss to slip to 9-6 on the season.
 
The Wildcats and Tritons conclude their four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader slated to get underway at 11 a.m.