TURLOCK – On a day when the Chico State softball team generated just enough offense to get the job done, the Wildcats leaned heavy on their two outstanding starting pitchers in Friday's first day of the Stanislaus State-hosted Tournament of Champions. Right-handers Brooke Langeloh and Haley Gilham came through big-time, combining to strike out 26 batters as the 'Cats triumphed twice, edging Notre Dame de Namur 2-1 in eight innings and doubling up Hawaii Pacific 6-3 at Pedretti Park in Turlock.
Friday's Tournament of Champions victories moves Chico State to 22-10 on the season.
Chico State's offense totaled 13 hits on the day, with Megan Bowley going a combined 3-for-4 and Desiree' Gonzalez and Rachel DeHart collecting two hits apiece.
In the day's first game against Notre Dame de Namur, Chico State drew first blood when Langeloh singled home Gonzalez in the top of the second inning. Langeloh also delivered in the pitcher's circle, holding the Argonauts without a hit and striking out six through the first four frames.
Notre Dame broke through with a run in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score, and when neither team could score again in regulation, the game went into extra innings. The Wildcats promptly went back in front in the top of the eighth when Cyrena Taylor's two-out infield single drove in Alli Cook.
Langeloh locked the contest down in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out and the tying run at third base, the Wildcat right-hander retired the last two Argonaut batters without incident, and Chico State escaped with the 2-1 victory.
Langeloh allowed just two hits and struck out 11 in her eight innings of work to improve to 12-1 on the season, and in the process setting new personal marks for wins and strikeouts (107) in a single season.
In Friday's evening game, Hawaii Pacific put together three singles in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Chico State loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the second, but came away empty, and the Sharks took advantage by scoring a run in the top of the third to increase their advantage to 2-0.
The Wildcats would not be denied in the bottom of the third inning, exploding for five runs to take the lead. With two outs and the bases juiced, Bowley got Chico State on the board when her infield single drove in Sarah Galaviz. DeHart followed with a base hit to plate Cook, and a throwing error on the play also allowed Taylor and Bowley to score, putting Chico State on top. Gilham capped off the rally with an RBI single to bring home DeHart and extend the 'Cats' lead to 5-2.
Hawaii Pacific got a run back in the top of the fourth inning, but Chico State answered in the bottom of the fifth when Cailin Garmon scored from third on a Taylor sacrifice fly to make it a 6-3 game. The Sharks got the tying run to the plate in the top of the sixth but were unable to cut into the deficit, and Gilham retired Hawaii Pacific in order in the seventh to end the game and secure the Wildcats' 6-3 win.
Gilham scattered seven hits in recording her 10th complete game of the season, striking out a career-high 15 batters to improve her record to 9-7 on the season.
Chico State is back in action Saturday on day two of the Tournament of Champions, taking on Chaminade at 4:30 p.m. and Academy of Art at 7 at Pedretti Park. Fans can follow the action online with Live Stats, available via the Wildcat Athletics website.
