STOCKTON, Calif.—Chico State is appearing in its sixth California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament, while Humboldt State has reached the tourney eight times. Amazingly, Saturday's winner's bracket game at Stockton's Arnaiz Stadium between the Wildcats and Lumberjacks marked the very first time the two teams had faced each other in the tourney, and fittingly, the contest was a nail-biter that came down to the final pitch. The 'Cats staked Haley Gilham to an early lead, and the CCAA Pitcher of the Year made the two first inning runs stand up in a 2-1 win over Humboldt that sends Chico State to Championship Sunday.
Haley Gilham worked out of numerous jams to hold Humboldt State
to just one run Saturday.
Saturday's win moves Chico State to 37-14 on the season, and puts the Wildcats in position to win the program's first-ever CCAA Championship Tournament crown. The 'Cats, 2-0 in the double-elimination tournament, will go into Sunday with two chances to win the one game needed to hoist the conference championship banner.
Chico State, ironically, will face Humboldt State Sunday. The Lumberjacks reached the championship round by downing Cal State Monterey Bay 2-1 in Saturday's second tournament elimination game.
Fans can follow Chico State softball online throughout the CCAA Championship Tournament with Live Stats and live streaming video, both available on the Wildcat Athletics website.
The Wildcats piled up seven hits against Humboldt State's All-CCAA pitcher Madison Williams. Rachel DeHart posted her second straight two-hit game, while Ari Marsh included a double among her two safeties.
Gilham notched her 25th complete game of 2017, allowing a run on six hits to improve to 22-5 on the season. Her 22 wins ties Gilham with Sam Baker (2011) and Brooke Langeloh (2016) for the most single-season victories in Wildcat history.
Chico State immediately got on the board, posted a crooked number in the top of the first inning. Cailin Garmon reached on a wild pitch third strike, then promptly stole second and third. Kristin Worley walked and stole second, putting a pair of runners in scoring position. Garmon scored when Williams uncorked a wild pitch, and Worley came home on a Karli Skowrup double, giving the 'Cats a quick 2-0 lead.
Rachel DeHart has been one of the Wildcats' most consistent hitters in
postseason play, with four hits in two CCAA Championship Tourney games.
The Wildcats were able to load the bases in the top of the second inning, but came away empty. Williams then settled down in the pitcher's circle for the 'Jacks, retiring 10 straight Chico State batters. Gilham was even more effective in the early going, allowing just one hit through the first three frames and at one point setting down seven consecutive Lumberjacks.
Humboldt State cut Chico State's lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by Breonna Bejaran. The Wildcats tried to answer in the top of the fifth, as Marsh rifled a two-out double to the left field gap and advanced to third on a passed ball. Williams was able to get Skowrup to pop up to end the threat and keep it a 2-1 contest.
The Lumberjacks put the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth, but a runner's interference call and a failed double steal short-circuited the rally and kept the 'Cats in front.
Chico State tried to add to its advantage in the top of the sixth inning. DeHart dropped in a two-out single to center, but Sarah Galaviz was cut down at the plate trying to score from second.
The Wildcats dodged a cannonball in the bottom of the sixth. Humboldt loaded the bases with one out, and Gilham was within one pitch of walking home the tying run. But the 'Cats' ace stiffened, getting Ilia Haley to pop up and Lona Dengler to roll out to first to end the inning with Chico State still clinging to a 2-1 lead.
The drama only heightened in the bottom of the seventh inning. A one-out walk, a single by Winona Vigil and a wild pitch put Lumberjacks at second and third. Sydney Roberts followed with a line smash to third base, but Claire Wayne knocked the ball down, freezing the baserunners, and threw to first for the second out. An "unintentional intentional" walk to Tiffany Hollingsworth loaded the bases, but Gilham induced a popup off the bat of Kalyn Paque that Garmon gloved behind second base to end the game, giving the Wildcats the nail-biting 2-1 victory and a trip to the Sunday's CCAA Conference Championship finals.
This is the second time in as many years that Chico State has reached Championship Sunday. Last season the Wildcats survived their Saturday elimination game to reach the finals, only to fall to eventual conference tournament champ UC San Diego.
