LAS VEGAS—The Chico State softball team got the 2019 season off to a successful start Friday during opening day action at the Desert Stinger Tournament in Las Vegas. The No. 7 Wildcats won both of their scheduled contests, but they did it in distinctly different ways. The 'Cats were up to the challenge of weathering a late Azusa Pacific rally to beat the Cougars 3-2, then took advantage of multiple Western Washington miscues to rack up double-digit runs and top the Vikings 12-2 in five innings.
 
The Wildcats piled up a dozen hits on the day, with Ari Marsh collecting three hits to lead the Chico State offense. Kristin Worley and Reilani Peleti each had a pair of hits Friday as the 'Cats ran their winning streak at the Desert Stinger Tournament to 12 straight games dating back to 2017.

 

In Friday's season opener against Azusa Pacific, Chico State got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Worley singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Bailey Akins fielder's choice grounder.
 
The Wildcats added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two on and two out, Angel Lopez delivered a triple to left-center field—her first career Chico State hit—to plate Peleti and Brooke Larsen to make it a 3-0 game.
 
Larsen, making her debut in the pitcher's circle for the Wildcats, started with a flourish, striking out the side in the first inning and allowing just one Azusa Pacific runner to reach second base through four innings. Her shutout bid was spoiled by an Emily Moran solo home run in the top of the fifth, cutting the 'Cats' advantage to 3-1.
 
The Cougars made things interesting in the top of the seventh inning, pushing across a run and placing the potential tying run into scoring position with two outs. Larsen came through in the clutch, getting pinch-hitter Megan Tucker to pop out to shortstop Wendy Cardinali to end it, giving Chico State the 3-2 victory.
 
Larsen struck out 11 in going the distance for her first Chico State win.

 

In the late game against Western Washington, another Wildcat registered her first hit in a Chico State uniform—and it was a bomb. Naomi Monahan, who did not log a single at-bat in 2018, launched a solo homer to left field in the top of the second inning to give the 'Cats a 1-0 lead. The Vikings answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the second to knot things up.
 
Three straight two-out errors by the Wildcats giftwrapped a run for Western Washington in the bottom of the third inning, putting the Vikings in front 2-1. The lead would not last long.
 
Chico State exploded for eight runs in the top of the fourth with only a single hit in the frame. Two walks and a fielder's choice loaded the bases, and a walk to Peleti forced home Akins from third to tie the score. Amanda Metzger reached on a Western Washington error, plating Claire Wayne to put the Wildcats on top. Cardinali walked to reload the bases, and when Worley got aboard on a Vikings throwing error, all three 'Cats runners came home on the play to make it 6-2. Marsh then singled home Worley, and later scored on Western Washington's third error of the inning to give Chico State a six-run cushion. Akins would complete the rally by scoring from third on a wild pitch to extend the Wildcats' lead to 9-2.  
 
The 'Cats put up another crooked number in the top of the fifth inning, as Shelby Burdette used her first-ever Chico State hit to single in Ana Hayes, and Cardinali followed with a two-run homer to left to balloon the Wildcats' lead to 10. Monahan wrapped things up by tossing a scoreless fifth inning, and the 'Cats walked away with the decisive 12-2 win.
 
Monahan allowed just one earned run and four hits while striking out six to earn the complete game victory.
 
Chico State has another two games on tap during Saturday's second day of the Desert Stinger Tournament. The Wildcats will take on Northwest Nazarene at 11:30 a.m., followed by a matchup with Concordia Irvine at 4:30 p.m. Fans can keep up with the action of both games with Live Stats, accessible via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video for the Concordia Irvine contest will also be available online.