The emotions were running high and the smiles a mile wide Saturday as the Chico State softball team paid tribute to Wildcats Alli Cook, Desiree' Gonzalez, Brooke Langeloh, Brynn Lesovsky and Cheyenne Sandoval on Senior Day prior to its series-opening doubleheader against San Francisco State. What followed were two contests dominated by pitching, with the 'Cats and Gators each winning a low-scoring affair. San Francisco State edged Chico State 2-1 in the first game, with the Wildcats scoring three runs in the sixth inning of the nightcap to win 4-1 and earn a split of the twin bill.
 
Chico State moved to 34-12 on the season and 25-11 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Wildcats, which already clinched the No. 2 seed in next week's CCAA Championship Tournament, found out that their first round opponent next Friday will be Sonoma State (32-20-1, 24-15-1 CCAA), which secured the No. 3 seed with a doubleheader sweep of Cal State Dominguez Hills Saturday in Rohnert Park.
 
San Francisco State, which was eliminated from postseason contention Friday, saw its record go to 25-26 overall and 19-19 in CCAA play.

 

The Wildcats produced a dozen hits Saturday against the Gators. Ari Marsh led the way with four safeties to extend her hitting streak to 14 straight games. Cook and Sarah Galaviz each had two hits on the day; Cook also swiped three bases to give her 28 on the season, setting a new Chico State single-season stolen base record.
 
In game one of the double dip, Chico State starting pitcher Brooke Langeloh was literally unhittable in the early going, striking out the first eight San Francisco State batters she faced. The Wildcats staked her to a lead with a run in the bottom of the third inning when Cailin Garmon reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on Marsh's base hit up the middle.
 
Langeloh and the 'Cats made the lead stand up until the top of the sixth when the Gators scored a pair of runs on a wild play. With runners at second and third, Celeste Adriano laid down a squeeze bunt to plate Jennifer Lewis. While Chico State got Adriano caught in a rundown between first and second, Alexis Mattos broke for the plate and scored when the throw sailed past Lesovsky covering home.
 
Now with the lead, Gators left-hander Megan Clark slammed the door on any Chico State comeback, retiring the Wildcats in order in the bottom of the sixth and the last of the seventh to give San Francisco State the 2-1 victory.
 
Langeloh went the distance for the 14th time this season, allowing just one earned run and five hits while striking out 13 but was saddled with the hard-luck loss to slip to 17-3 on the year.
 
The 'Cats' Haley Gilham and Gators' right-hander Lindsey Cassidy locked into a dandy pitcher's duel in the nightcap, with each hurler matching each other zero-for-zero through the first three frames. Gilham opened the scoring with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the fourth inning, sending her first career homer over the right-center field fence to give Chico State a 1-0 lead.
 
San Francisco State answered with a run in the top of the fifth inning, and the game remained tied until Chico State produced the winning rally in the bottom of the sixth. Cyrena Taylor put the Wildcats in front when her sharp grounder through the right side scored Cailin Garmon from second. After Briana Contreras was hit by a pitch, pinch-hitter Megan Bowley ripped a two-run double down the left field line to extend the 'Cats' advantage to 4-1.
 
Gilham took it from there, setting down San Francisco State 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to lock down the 4-1 win and give the Wildcats the doubleheader split.
 
Gilham raised her record to 16-7 in tossing her 15th complete game of the year. She allowed just a run on six hits and struck out five to earn her ninth consecutive win.  
 
Chico State and San Francisco State will wrap up their four-game series and close out the regular season Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. at University Softball Field.