With all the glittering statistics that Haley Gilham has generated over the first month of the season, Chico State softball fans must be wondering what the winningest pitcher in the program's history could possibly do for an encore. The senior right-hander came up with one more marvel to her 2018 campaign Friday, tossing the first no-hitter of her Wildcats career in a 4-0 win to open a four-game set with Cal State Monterey Bay. The No. 5 'Cats went on to sweep the doubleheader with a 6-5 victory in the nightcap at University Softball Field.
 
Gilham struck out 10 batters in notching the no-no, walking just two batters while improving to 10-1 on the season and lowering her earned run average to a miniscule 1.15. She is the second Wildcats pitcher to toss a no-hitter this year, joining Naomi Monahan, who held Cal State San Bernardino hitless back on February 10.
 

Friday's win boosted Chico State's overall record to 21-2, with the Wildcats maintaining their three-game lead in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 16-2 conference record. Cal State Monterey Bay slipped to 11-11 on the season and 6-7 in CCAA play.
 
While Gilham was certainly the biggest story of the day, the Chico State offense was firing on all cylinders, cranking out 20 hits on the afternoon. Wendy Cardinali and Bailey Akins each smacked a home run among their combined six hits (Akins her CCAA-leading seventh round tripper of the year), with Ari Marsh, Cyrena Taylor and Amanda Flores contributing three hits apiece. Kristin Worley had two hits and two stolen bases to move her into the CCAA lead with 17 swipes on the season.
 
In Friday's doubleheader opener, Chico State wasted little time in staking Gilham to a lead. In the bottom of the second inning the Wildcats put up a crooked number against Monterey Bay starting pitcher Hayley Fein—Claire Wayne knocked in Akins and Taylor with a base hit up the middle, then scored on a Megan Bowley single and an Otters error to put the 'Cats up 3-0.
 
Gilham, meanwhile, was literally perfect through the first four-plus innings, setting down 14 consecutive Monterey Bay batters. Gilham's shot at a perfect game was torpedoed by a two-out walk in the top of the fifth, but Vanessa Garcia, the recipient of the free pass, was thrown out stealing to end the inning.
 
Chico State plated an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Taylor's singled home Marsh. Gilham brought it home by retiring the Otters in order in the sixth, and after walking the leadoff batter in the seventh, got three straight outs to cement her no-hitter and give the Wildcats the 4-0 win.
 

In the nightcap, the 'Cats jumped out to an early lead when Taylor doubled home Karli Skowrup in the bottom of the second inning. Chico State went big fly in each of the next two frames, with Cardinali going yard with a solo homer to left in the third, followed by Akins bombing a solo shot to left in the fourth, giving Monahan and the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.
 
Monterey Bay was down but certainly not out, as the Otters knotted up the contest with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Chico State regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth, as Akins and Flores both delivered RBI singles. The Wildcats' 5-3 advantage was short-lived, however, as Monterey Bay scrambled back with two runs in the top of the sixth to make the score 5-5.
 
With the sun setting and darkness becoming a concern, the 'Cats went ahead to stay in the bottom of the sixth inning when Cardinali was hit by a pitch, sacrificed to second and scored on Marsh's line single to center field. The Otters got the potential tying run aboard in the top of the seventh, but Monahan was able to secure the final three outs, including a game-ending strikeout of Gianna Marquecho, to give Chico State the 6-5 win and the doubleheader sweep.
 
Monahan allowed just three hits in five-and-a-third innings of work to earn the victory and improve to 8-1 on the year.  
 
The Wildcats and Otters complete the four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Before the start of the twin bill, Chico State will present the third of several pre-game ceremonies planned throughout the season to celebrate the softball program's 50th anniversary. Players spanning the 1990's will be honored just prior to game one's first pitch.