HAYWARD – Don't put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today. The Chico State softball team, obviously wanting to avoid any final weekend drama, executed that well-worn saying to the letter in its series-opening doubleheader Saturday against Cal State East Bay. The Wildcats officially secured one of the four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament berths with a pair of wins, shutting out the Pioneers 6-0 in the opener and surviving six errors in the nightcap to prevail 4-2.
 
The Wildcats – No. 18 in the nation and No. 2 in the NCAA West Region rankings – extended their school-record winning streak to 14 straight Saturday to improve to 32-10 overall and 23-9 in CCAA play. With six games left to play in the regular season, the 'Cats have clinched their second postseason berth in as many years and no worse than the No. 3 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. The two Saturday losses dropped Cal State East Bay to 14-26 overall and 9-19 in CCAA play.
 
Chico State pounded out 13 hits over the two contests, with Ari Marsh, Brynn Lesovsky and Desiree' Gonzalez collecting three safeties apiece. Cyrena Taylor drove in two runs in each game, with Lesovsky adding three RBI to the 'Cats' attack. Marsh also extended her current hitting streak to a team-high 10 games.
 
In the opener of Saturday's twin bill, Chico State quickly got on the board in the top of the first inning, as Marsh reached on an error and scored on Lesovsky's double to right-center field. Two batters later Lesovsky came home when Taylor grounded out to first, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
 
Alli Cook single-handedly manufactured a run for the 'Cats in the top of the third inning. After drawing a walk, Cook stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Pioneers throwing error. In the top of the fifth Chico State went up 5-0 – after the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out, Gonzalez drew a walk to force home Marsh, then Cook came home on a Taylor sacrifice fly.
 
Chico State's Brooke Langeloh was in total control in the pitcher's circle, allowing just one baserunner and carrying a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth. The no-no was thwarted by East Bay's Meghan Araneta, who led off the inning with an infield single.
 
Doubles by Marsh and Lesovsky in the top of the seventh inning provided the Wildcats with their final run of the contest, and Langeloh set down East Bay without incident in the bottom of the seventh to put the finishing touches on the Wildcats' 6-0 victory.
 
Langeloh struck out six in notching her 12th complete game and fifth shutout of the season. Langeloh is now 17-1 on the year – the most wins by a Wildcat pitcher in a single season since Sam Baker posted 18 victories in 2012.
 
Game two of Saturday's doubleheader began as a pitcher's duel between East Bay's Tatiana Beilstein and Haley Gilham of the Wildcats. Chico State drew first blood in the top of the third inning when Marsh doubled, was sacrificed to third and scored on a Lesovsky sac fly. The Pioneers, with ample assistance from the Wildcats defense, came back to take the lead – two Chico errors in the bottom of the third allowed East Bay to tie the score, then another 'Cats miscue in the bottom of the fourth resulted in another unearned run as the Pioneers went up 2-1.
 
Chico State answered with a crooked number in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs and runners at the corners, Gonzalez singled home Sarah Galaviz to knot up the contest; Taylor followed with a two-run double to put the Wildcats back in front 4-2.
 
The 'Cats' sixth error of the game helped East Bay put the tying runs aboard with nobody out in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Gilham was able to wiggle out of the jam unscathed. There would be no drama in the seventh, as Gilham retired the Pioneers in order to lock down the 4-2 win and the doubleheader sweep.
 
Gilham improved her season record to 14-7 with the win, going the distance for 14th time this year.
 
Chico State and Cal State East Bay conclude their four-game series Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action online with Live Stats, available via the Wildcat Athletics website.