While most sports fans had the Super Bowl on their minds Sunday, a dedicated batch of Chico State faithful found their way to University Softball Field to watch the Wildcats host Dominican University for an afternoon doubleheader. The 'Cats made sure not to disappoint, taking both ends of the twinbill from the visiting Penguins, coming from behind to win the opener 5-2, then rapping out 10 hits en route to a 6-1 victory in the nightcap.
 
The two Sunday wins pushed Chico State's record to 3-1 on the young season and gives the Wildcats a three-game winning streak heading into their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference opener next weekend. Dominican fell to 1-5 overall.
 
Freshman Megan Bowley continued her torrid hitting to open the year, going 4-for-5 on the day and knocking in a pair of runs to aid the Wildcats' attack. Desiree' Gonzalez collected four hits over the two Sunday contests, with Alli Cook and Karli Skowrup chipping in with two safeties apiece.
 
Game one of the double dip saw Dominican put up single runs in the second and fifth innings, both aided by Chico State errors. Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats scored five runs after the first two hitters were retired. Cook got the 'Cats on the board with a single to center to drive home Haley Gilham, then was part of a double steal that plated Skowrup with the tying run. Bowley promptly put Chico State in front with a single to knock in Cook, and Gonzalez laced an RBI double to left to bring in Cailin Garmon. The Wildcats wrapped up the rally when a bases-loaded walk to Claire Wayne forced home Bowley to make the score 5-2.
 
Dominican plated a run in the top of the seventh and got the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Cheyenne Sandoval came in from the Wildcats' bullpen and struck out Karitza Reyes looking to end the game, locking down Chico State's 5-3 victory.
 
Gilham allowed just one earned run in six-and-two-thirds inning to earn her first victory of the season, with Sandoval notching her first save for the victorious 'Cats.
 
In game two, Bowley doubled in the bottom of the first inning and scored when Dominican failed to throw out Gonzalez trying to take second base following a base hit to left. The Wildcats put up a crooked number in the bottom of the third – Bowley singled home Cook and scored on Cyrena Taylor's sacrifice fly to left, then Brynn Lesovsky followed with a two-run single. Just like that, the 'Cats were up 5-0.
 
With Wildcats starting pitcher Brooke Langeloh allowing just one hit and striking out eight over the first five frames, Chico State added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning when a bases-loaded walk to Garmon brought home Taylor. Dominican avoided a shutout with a run in the top of the sixth inning, but Garmon, on in relief of Langeloh, tossed a scoreless seventh to give Chico State the 6-1 win and the doubleheader sweep.
 
Bowley and Gonzalez each went 3-for-4 in the nightcap. Langeloh, now 2-0 on the season, etched her name in the Wildcats record book by moving into a tie for 10th place on Chico State's career victories list with 22.
 
The Wildcats travel to Rohnert Park next weekend for a four-game series with Sonoma State to open up CCAA play. The series gets underway with a doubleheader Friday at 12 p.m., with a noon twinbill slated for Saturday.