When the 2018 season started, the general opinion was that the Chico State softball team was going to be good. But with the possible exception of the coaches and players themselves, no one could have predicted they would be this good. The Wildcats' magical 50th season reached another high point Saturday, adding an NCAA West Region title to their long list of accomplishments and keeping the team's quest for a national championship alive. The 'Cats exploded for five runs in the sixth inning to defeat California Baptist 7-2, ending the Lancers' season and cementing a spot in next week's NCAA West Super Regional.
 
Chico State, ranked No. 1 in the West and No. 2 in the nation, will travel to St. George, Utah to take on the region's No. 3 seed (and No. 18 team in the nation) Dixie State in a best-of-three series May 17-18. The series winner will advance to the NCAA Championship Finals May 24-28 in Salem, Virginia.

 

The Wildcats stretched their program-record winning streak to 28 games with Saturday's victory over Cal Baptist and raised their season record to 53-3. Chico State's third straight trip to the West Regional's Championship Saturday turned out to be charm, resulting in the program's first Super Regional appearance since 2010, in Angel Shamblin's first year as Wildcats head coach.  
 
The Lancers finished the year with an overall record of 35-12.
 
The win also marked the third straight year Chico State has knocked Cal Baptist out of the postseason. The Wildcats beat the Lancers to get to the 2016 West Regional finals, then bounced Cal Baptist in the loser's bracket game of the 2017 West Regional played in Chico.
 
The 'Cats collected nine hits Saturday, with Wendy Cardinali going 2-for-3. Claire Wayne produced the game's biggest hit, a three-run double in the decisive sixth inning, and Karli Skowrup applied an exclamation point to the proceedings with a booming two-run home run in the seventh.
 
The game featured a rematch of Friday's pitcher's duel between Chico State's Haley Gilham and Ciara Stapp of Cal Baptist. Both teams had chances to score early in the contest, but came away empty—the Wildcats stranded Cardinali at first in the opening frame, and in the third the Lancers threw out Angel Lopez at the plate trying to score on a Cardinali single. Cal Baptist put two aboard in the bottom of the third, but Gilham induced an inning-ending groundout to keep the game scoreless.

 

The Lancers broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking advantage of two Chico State errors to plate a pair of runs. Stapp set down the Wildcats in order in the fifth, and with Cal Baptist still holding on to a 2-0 lead, 'Cats fans began to get anxious as the game headed into the final innings.
 
They needn't have worried. In the top of the sixth, Chico State sent 11 batters to the plate, knocking out Stapp and taking firm control of the contest. Kristin Worley led off with a bunt single, and Ari Marsh followed with a walk. In what was perhaps the key at-bat of the inning, pinch-hitter Mia Quintero laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put the potential tying runs in scoring position.
 
After Skowrup walked to load the bases, Bailey Akins sent a grounder to short. Cal Baptist elected to throw home to cut off the lead runner, but Worley got in just under the tag to put the Wildcats on the board. Wayne then delivered the back-breaking hit, a ringing double to right-center that plated Akins, Shelby Burdette and Annie Weiss to put Chico State on top 4-2. Back-to-back singles by Amanda Flores and Megan Bowley chased home Breanna Martin to cap off the rally and give the 'Cats a three-run cushion.
 
Cal Baptist tried to answer in its half of the sixth, but left two aboard as Gilham got Anise Avalos to fly out to Worley in center to end the inning. The Wildcats picked up two big insurance runs in the seventh courtesy of one big swing—with Cyrena Taylor aboard, Skowrup launched her 12th homer of the year over the left field fence, extending the 'Cats' advantage to 7-2. The two-run blast gives Skowrup 60 runs batted in on the year, breaking the program's single-season record previously held by Hailey Stockman in 2012.
 
The Lancers made one last bid to climb back into the contest in the bottom of the seventh, but with one on and out, Gilham struck out Brittany Galvez. The Wildcats needed one last squeeze, and they got it when Cardinali dove to her left from her shortstop position to smother a sharp grounder near the second base bag. Her flip throw to Skowrup covering second literally rolled to the base, but Skowrup grabbed it just ahead of the sliding baserunner Ashley McBay, ending the game and giving Chico State the 7-2 victory and the West Region title.
 
The Wildcats dugout immediately spilled out onto the field and met Gilham in the middle of the infield for a wild, water-filled celebration. Chico State was victorious in the season's final game at University Softball Field, bringing the Wildcats' home record to a perfect 23-0.
 
Gilham allowed no earned runs in notching her 28th complete game and 29th win of the season.
 
Chico State and Dixie State will begin the best-of-three West Super Regional Thursday, with exact game times still to be determined. Fans can follow all three games on the Internet via Live Stats and live streaming video, available through the Wildcat Athletics website.