Still savoring series wins against Humboldt State and Sonoma State, the Chico State softball team returns to action this weekend hoping to keep the positive momentum—and the victories—rolling. The Wildcats travel down to Southern California for a four-game series against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) foe Cal State San Marcos, with doubleheaders beginning Friday at 12 noon and Saturday at 11 a.m. at San Marcos Softball Field.
Fans can follow the action on the Internet with Live Stats, accessible through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video is also available online.
Chico State, ranked No. 8 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) national Top 25 poll, enters the series with the Cougars with a 12-3 overall record, and is 10-2 in CCAA play. The Wildcats played eight games in six days last week, outscoring Humboldt State and Sonoma State by a combined 41-20 on the way to winning six times and vaulting into the upper reaches of the conference standings.
The Wildcats are batting .297 as a team, and their 80 runs on the season leads the CCAA. The 'Cats share the conference home run lead with 11, are first in walks (58), and rank third in hits (111) and doubles (21). The Chico State pitching staff has tossed a conference-high four shutouts and is second in the CCAA in strikeouts (75) and team ERA (1.75).
Individually, Brooke Larsen has quickly established herself as one of the CCAA's top hurlers, leading all conference pitchers in shutouts (3) and is among the top three in wins (7), complete games (6), strikeouts (47), and opponent batting average (.165).
Amanda Flores ranks in the CCAA Top 10 in batting average (.436), hits (17), runs batted in (10), and on-base percentage (.522). Bailey Akins owns a share of the conference lead with three home runs, and is second in RBI (14). Kristin Worley ranks fifth in the CCAA in stolen bases (7) and sixth in runs scored (12).
Ari Marsh, who now stands just 18 hits shy of becoming the program's career hits leader, is tied for seventh in the conference with four doubles on the year.
Cal State San Marcos is 5-5 on the year and 4-4 in the CCAA. The Cougars host the Wildcats on the heels of a four-game road series sweep last weekend against Cal State East Bay. San Marcos outscored the Pioneers 25-12 to rack up the Cougars' first conference wins of the season.
San Marcos is batting a collective .308, averaging 4.4 runs and 8.6 hits a game. The Cougars' pitching staff carries a team ERA of 4.00.
Junior utility player Melody Forstie ranks seventh in the CCAA with a .474 batting average and leads San Marcos in almost all offensive statistical categories. Junior outfielder Ronni Silas is hitting .412, while senior infielder Kammy Fisher is batting .393 with a team-high two home runs. In the pitcher's circle, freshman righthander Ellie Smith is 2-2 on the year with a staff-leading 18 strikeouts and 2.28 ERA.
The last time Chico State and San Marcos met, the Wildcats swept a four-game series last February at University Softball Field. Since the Cougars joined the CCAA in 2016, the Wildcats have won nine of 10 head-to-head matchups and lead the all-time series 9-5.
