SEASIDE—At this late stage of the season, when postseason aspirations are very much at stake, the competition tends to get tougher, and it takes a bit more to score the runs that were coming so much easier earlier in the year. Every team in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) knows it has to grind to earn each and every precious victory, and that's exactly what the Chico State and Cal State Monterey Bay softball teams did Saturday on the way to splitting their series-opening doubleheader in Seaside. The Wildcats shut out the Otters 2-0 in the opener, with Monterey Bay whitewashing Chico State 4-0 in the nightcap.
Saturday's doubleheader split left Chico State with an overall record of 23-9, and the Wildcats remained in the CCAA with a 17-7 conference record. Cal State Monterey Bay is now 19-17 on the season and 15-11 in CCAA play.
The Wildcats generated a combined 13 hits on the day, with Amanda Flores and Angel Lopez each racking up three hits. Brooke Larsen and Kristin Worley collected two hits apiece, but the rest of the Chico State offense was a collective 3-for-32 at the plate, with the 'Cats stranding a total of 19 baserunners over the two contests.
Game one of the twin bill saw Larsen and Hayley Fein of Cal State Monterey Bay lock horns in a dynamite pitcher's duel. The Wildcats had an early handful of chances to get on the board, but left five runners in scoring position through the first four innings. Larsen surrendered a pair of early knocks, but she saw to it that the Otters would not register another hit past the third inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Larsen wiggled out of a jam and kept the game scoreless when a Monterey Bay runner was thrown out at the plate. The clutch defensive play seemed to energize the Wildcats' offense in the top of the sixth, as Claire Wayne led off with a base hit, and Larsen's single up the middle moved pinch-runner Annie Weiss to third. Larsen stole second, and Flores followed with an RBI single to center. Fein hit Reilani Peleti with a pitch to load the bases, and then plunked Angel Lopez to force home Larsen to give Chico State a 2-0 lead.
Larsen took care of the rest, tossing a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning and then retiring Monterey Bay 1-2-3 in the seventh to lock down the Wildcats' 2-0 victory.
Larsen struck out seven en route to her fifth shutout and 14th complete game to improve her season record to 15-2.
Chico State's offense just could not get untracked in the nightcap. The Wildcats stranded a pair of runners in the top of the first inning, and Monterey Bay jumped on top by scoring a run in the bottom of the first and two more in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.
The 'Cats were able to get runners aboard—Flores and Ari Marsh singled in the third inning, Lopez singled in the fifth, and in the sixth Flores led off with a double—but Otters starting pitcher Celeste Villagrana shut down every potential Chico State scoring threat. Monterey Bay plated an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning, and though the Wildcats battled to the end—Worley and Lopez managing to get aboard with two-out base hits in the top of the seventh—Villagrana got Marsh to ground out to end the game, giving the Otters the 4-0 victory and the doubleheader split.
Sam Mulock went the distance in the pitcher's circle for the 'Cats—the lefthander's third complete game of the season—but was saddled with the loss to slip to 5-3 overall.
The Wildcats and Otters conclude the four-game series Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action online with Live Stats, available through the Wildcat Athletics website.
