STOCKTON – The Chico State softball team will be playing in the NCAA Championship Tournament – that's the good news. The bad news is the Wildcats will do it without a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament banner. The UC San Diego Tritons earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tourney and claimed the CCAA Tournament crown Sunday by downing the 'Cats 5-2 at Arnaiz Stadium in Stockton.
 
Chico State finished the conference tournament 2-2 to move its season record to 38-14. UC San Diego, the CCAA Tournament's No. 4 seed, improved to 35-19 on the year.
 
The Wildcats collected nine hits Sunday, with Desiree' Gonzalez and Sarah Galaviz picking up two hits apiece.
 
Chico State drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning when Brynn Lesovsky lined a two-out single to left and scored on a Gonzalez double. UC San Diego answered in the top of the second, as Caitlyn Weisner lined a two-run homer to center to put the Tritons in front 2-1.
 
The Wildcats missed a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the third inning, leaving the bases loaded. But in the bottom of the fourth, the 'Cats pulled even when Ari Marsh lined a double into the right field corner, plating Cailin Garmon.
 
UC San Diego went back in front 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning, and it was Weisner who again provided the big blow, blasting her second round-tripper of the contest.
 
Chico State threatened again in the bottom of the fifth, putting two one with one out, but Tritons reliever Milana Casillas squelched the rally by striking out Haley Gilham and getting Rachel DeHart to fly out to right.
 
UC San Diego added two insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning when McKenna Clewett tripled home Kelsi Maday double and scored on a single by Rachel Phillips to put the Tritons up 5-2.
 
The Wildcats responded by loading the bases with out in the bottom of the sixth, but came away empty when Maday snagged Lesovsky's fly ball in right and threw out Galaviz at the plate to end the inning.
 
The 'Cats had one more chance to pull even in the bottom of the seventh inning, but following a leadoff single, Casillas struck out Gilham and Cyrena Taylor and got DeHart to ground out to first base, ending the game and giving the Tritons the 5-2 victory and the CCAA Championship Tournament crown.
 
Following the game, Gonzalez, Gilham, Garmon and Taylor were named to the All-Tournament team.
 
The Wildcats will find out Monday morning where they rank in the West Region and if they'll host one of the two NCAA West Sub-Regionals. The live selection show will be broadcast online beginning at 7 a.m. on www.ncaa.com.