ARCATA—If you're a Wildcats fan, the first game of Saturday's series-ending softball doubleheader between Chico State and Humboldt State was a thing of beauty. The nightcap…not so much. But either way, the No. 3 'Cats acquired the desired results, piling up a combined 25 runs and 29 hits to beat the host Lumberjacks in game one 9-0 in five innings and 16-13 in the nightcap to sweep the series in Arcata and extend Chico State's season-best winning streak to 18 games.
The two victories Saturday raised Chico State's season record to 43-3 while improving to 33-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Humboldt State dropped to 19-25 overall and 14-16 in conference play.
The Wildcats turned in their biggest offensive weekend of the season, scoring 42 runs in their four games against Humboldt State. Cyrena Taylor and Amanda Flores posted five hits apiece in Saturday's doubleheader, with Flores added six runs batted in on the afternoon. Karli Skowrup and Megan Bowley each collected four hits, while Ari Marsh, Bailey Akins and Kristin Worley contributed three hits apiece. The 'Cats belted four home runs in the nightcap, with Worley, Akins and Bowley and Wendy Cardinali all going big fly.
Haley Gilham recorded a win and a save Saturday
and had a hand in all four victories in the Wildcats'
series sweep of Humboldt State.
In game one of the double dip, the Wildcats wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Taylor led off the top of the second inning with a base hit and came home on an Akins RBI single. Later in the frame, Skowrup scored from third on a wild pitch, and a bases-loaded walk to Worley plated Flores to give Chico State a 3-0 lead.
The 'Cats put up another three-spot in the top of the third. Flores and Bowley delivered consecutive RBI singles, and a bases-loaded free pass to Cardinali forced home Claire Wayne to extend Chico State's lead to 6-0.
The Wildcats struck again in the fourth inning. Taylor doubled home Annie Weiss, and Flores followed with a two-bagger to plate Skowrup and Shelby Burdertte to make the score 9-0.
That would be more than enough offense for 'Cats' pitcher Haley Gilham, who held Humboldt State to just three hits and struck out five to lock down the 9-0 victory. Gilham recorded her 11th shutout of the year and 27th of her career to improve to 21-2 on the season. Gilham moved into a tie with Katie Stokx for the most shutouts by a Chico State pitcher in a single season since 1984, and the most career shutouts by any Wildcats hurler in the 50-year history of the program.
The chance of a shutout for either team vanished less than one inning into the second game of the doubleheader. Chico State scored in the top of the first when Worley came home from third on a bases-loaded walk to Skowrup, only to see the Lumberjacks answer with three runs in their half of the frame.
Wendy Cardinali made her 22nd birthday a memorable one,
belting her ninth home run of the season in the nightcap.
The 'Cats trimmed the deficit to one in the top of the second inning when Bowley blasted a solo home run, and following a walk to Cardinali, Worley went big fly—her first career homer as a Wildcat—to put Chico State in front 4-3. A run-scoring double by Taylor, RBI singles by Akins and Flores and an unearned run courtesy of a Lumberjacks error added up to a seven-spot in the second, pushing the 'Cats lead to 8-3.
Humboldt State got a run back in the bottom of the second inning, but in the top of the third back-to-back doubles by Cardinali and Worley made the score 9-4.
The Lumberjacks came roaring back in the bottom of the third inning, taking advantage of a Wildcat error and five walks—two with the bases loaded—to score six times and leap in front 10-9.
Chico State was down, but certainly not out heading into the top of the fourth. Akins led off the inning with a walk and eventually scored on a Humboldt error to tie the game. With Weiss and Bowley aboard, Cardinali launched her ninth home run of the year—and third of the series—to complete the four-run uprising and put the Wildcats back on top 13-10.
The Lumberjacks plated a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but an RBI double by Skowrup and a solo homer by Akins—her 13th tater of the year—extended Chico State's lead to 15-11 in the top of the fifth.
Humboldt State pulled to within three with a run in the bottom of the fifth, prompting Chico State head coach Angel Shamblin to turn to her ace, Haley Gilham, to shut the Lumberjacks down. Gilham tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning, and Flores rapped a two-out double to knock in Angel Lopez to provide the 'Cats with a big insurance run in the top of the seventh.
Humboldt went down swinging, getting the potential tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. The Lumberjacks loaded the bases with nobody out, and scored a run on a sacrifice fly. Gilham got the final two outs without further incident, giving Chico State the 16-13 win, completing the doubleheader and series sweep.
Sam Mulock, the third of four Wildcat pitchers to appear in the circle, got credit for the win to raise her season record to 5-0. Gilham chalked up the save, giving her four on the year.
With a CCAA Championship Tournament bid safely secured, the Wildcats wrap up the regular season next weekend when they travel to the Bay Area to take on San Francisco State. The four-game series gets underway Friday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m., followed by a Saturday twin bill beginning at 11 a.m.
