ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Chico State softball team's 2015 season came to an end Friday, but not before the Wildcats experienced – with apologies to ABC's Wide World of Sports – the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. After winning an elimination game against Saint Martin's 6-4 on a walk-off homer by Brynn Lesovsky, the 'Cats were eliminated from the NCAA Championship West Regional later in the day with a 9-2 loss to Cal Baptist at Dixie State's Karl Brooks Field.
The Wildcats wrap up the season with a 29-22 record which included the program's fourth postseason appearance in the last six years under Head Coach Angel Shamblin.
Tori Zimmermann had two hits, an RBI and reached base four times
Friday at the NCAA West Regional.Chico State began play Friday knowing a loss would knock the team out of postseason play, and the Wildcats came through in dramatic fashion in the day's first game against Saint Martin's (42-20). The Saints took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, but the 'Cats came back in the bottom of the frame – Tori Zimmermann's RBI single plated Ashley Huff to tie the score, then Alli Cook came home from third on a Saint Martin's error to put Chico State on top 2-1.
The Saints answered with two runs in the top of the fourth inning, but the Wildcats went back in front 4-3 in the fifth with Lesovsky belted a two-run homer to left field. Haley Gilham, in relief of starting pitcher Brooke Langeloh, tossed a scoreless sixth inning, but in the seventh, down to its last out, Saint Martin's was able to scrape across a run to knot up the contest 4-4.
The Wildcats were not about to let the game get away. Emily McEnaney delivered a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, but was forced out at second on a Desiree' Gonzalez grounder. That set the stage for Lesovsky – with two strikes, she once again went yard, lining the ball over the left field fence to give the 'Cats the euphoric 6-4 victory, eliminating the Saints and moving on to the day's second elimination game against Cal Baptist.
The Lancers, who beat Chico State 8-1 Thursday in the NCAA West Region opener, wasted little time getting on the board, plating a run in the top of the first inning and adding a three-run homer by Krista Mann in the top of the third to go up 4-0. The Wildcats got a run back in the bottom of the third when Gonzalez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
A Jenna Lieber solo homer in the top of the fourth inning extended the Lancers' lead to 5-1, but the Wildcats answered in the bottom of the frame when Courtney Brown doubled and scored on a single by Marlee Rettig.
From there, though, it was all Cal Baptist, which used a four-run sixth inning to effectively put the game away. Chico State threatened to make some noise in what turned out to be its final at-bat of the season, loading the bases with two outs, but the Lancers got out of the inning unscathed, securing the final out to post the 9-2 victory and earn the right to face Dixie State in Saturday's NCAA West Regional Championship game.
Senior shortstop Emily McEnaney, playing the final games of her Chico State career, had three hits on the day, with Lesovsky adding three hits and four runs batted in.
