HAYWARD – For half the day Sunday, the Chico State softball team's offense was uncharacteristically quiet, and the lack of production would cost the Wildcats their record 14-game winning streak, as Cal State East Bay won the opener of their series-ending doubleheader 2-1. The Wildcats' bats finally came alive in the nightcap, though, pounding out 10 hits en route to an 8-0 victory to earn a split of the twin bill and a three-games-to-one series win over the host Pioneers.
Chico State's season record moves to 33-11 overall and 24-10 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with Sunday's doubleheader split. Cal State East Bay is now 15-27 on the year and 10-20 in conference play.
Cyrena Taylor paced the Wildcat offense Sunday with four hits – two of them doubles – and three runs batted in. Desiree' Gonzalez collected three hits and four RBI in game two, while Ali Marsh hit safely in both contests to improve her current hitting streak to 12 straight games.
Desiree' Gonzalez knocked in four runs in
the second game of Sunday's
doubleheader, giving her a career single-
season high of 42. Her bases-clearing
double in the seventh inning was also her
200th career hit.
Runs and hits were hard to come by for both teams in Sunday's first game, as Brooke Langeloh of the Wildcats and East Bay's Sierra Clark locked horns in an entertaining pitcher's duel. Both teams scored in the opening frame – two Pioneers errors in the top of the first inning set the stage for Taylor, who delivered a two-out double to plate Marsh, while East Bay answered in the bottom of the first with a Rose Marston solo homer.
The score remained 1-1 until the seventh inning. Chico State had a chance to take the lead in the top half of the frame, getting runners to second and third, but left them stranded. In the bottom of the seventh East Bay pushed across the game winner – Courtney Lebya stroked a two-out double and scored when Marston's pop fly to shallow left field was lost in the sun – the Wildcat miscue giving the Pioneers the 2-1 win.
Langeloh went the distance in the circle, allowing just one earned run and three hits while striking out 11, but was tagged with the hard-luck loss to dip to 17-2 on the season.
Runs were at a premium again early in game two. East Bay starting pitcher Tatiana Beilstein held the 'Cats to just one hit through the first three innings, while Wildcats starter Haley Gilham successfully wiggled out of two early bases-loaded jams. Chico State broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the fourth when Brynn Lesovsky led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on an error and came home on a base hit by Gonzalez.
East Bay placed the potential tying run in scoring position in both the fourth and fifth innings, but each time Gilham turned the Pioneers away empty-handed. In the top of the sixth, Chico State went up 2-0 as Taylor ripped a two-out double to chase home Gonzalez.
The 'Cats broke the game open in the top of the seventh, with all the damage coming with two outs and nobody on. Sarah Galaviz tripled to the right-center field gap and scored when a Marsh grounder was mishandled by East Bay. Chico State loaded the bases for Gonzalez, who promptly delivered a three-run double. Taylor and Gilham each followed with RBI singles to make the score 8-0.
Cheyenne Sandoval came on in relief to retire East Bay in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to lock down the win for Chico State, as the Wildcats earned the doubleheader split and the series win.
Gilham scattered four hits over six shutout innings to earn the win and improve to 15-7 on the season.
The Wildcats play their final regular season series next weekend, hosting San Francisco State at University Softball Field. The four-game set begins with a Friday doubleheader at 1 p.m., followed by a Saturday twin bill at 11 a.m.
