LA JOLLA—Longtime Chico State softball fans know that every time the Wildcats and UC San Diego meet on the softball field, it results in a white-knuckle ride from first pitch to final out. In the five games this season between the two teams, four were decided by one run, and the other by two. Saturday the 'Cats had a pair of chances to knock the Tritons out of postseason play, but true to form, both contests were nail-biters, with UC San Diego eliminating Chico State 5-4 and 2-1 in the NCAA West Sub-Regional at Triton Softball Field in La Jolla.
 
The two losses officially end the Wildcats' 2019 season, with Chico State fashioning an overall record of 31-17.   
 
The Wildcats delivered 14 hits on the day, with Ari Marsh collecting four hits to finish her Chico State career with a program-record 231. Reilani Peleti, Amanda Metzger, and Amanda Flores each had two hits Saturday, but it wasn't enough for the Wildcats to notch the one victory needed to face the No. 1 seed in the West, Concordia-Irvine, in next week's best-of-three NCAA West Super Regional.
 
In Saturday's first game, Chico State opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Wendy Cardinali roped a one-out double to the right-center field gap, advanced to third on Ari Marsh's infield single, and came home courtesy of a Flores sacrifice fly.
 
The Wildcats missed an opportunity to add to their lead, stranding the bases loaded in the top of the second inning. UC San Diego took advantage, batting around in the bottom of the second and combining four hits, a walk, two hit by pitches, and a throwing error to score five times and bolt out in front 5-1.
 
Sam Mulock came on in relief for the 'Cats and kept the Tritons off the scoreboard for three-and-a-third innings, while Naomi Monahan tossed a scoreless sixth. But Chico State wasn't able to generate much offense against UC San Diego starter Robyn Wampler. After being handed a four-run lead, Wampler allowed a fourth inning base hit to Claire Wayne and sixth inning singles by Flores and Peleti in the sixth.
 
The Wildcats were still down 5-1 when they finally put together a rally in the top of the seventh. Metzger led off the inning with her third home run of the year, and Marsh and Flores made it a one-run game with back-to-back RBI doubles.
 
With the potential tying run in scoring position, Alanna Phillips was summoned from the Tritons' bullpen to relieve Wampler. The righthander quelled the rally by getting Monahan to fly out to left field and retiring Bailey Akins on a grounder to short to end the game, giving UC San Diego the 5-4 victory and forcing a deciding winner-take-all contest.
 
Just like the day's opening game, Chico State drew first blood. Wildcats righthander Brooke Larsen and the lefty Wampler matched each other zero for zero through the first two frames, but in the top of the third the 'Cats went up 1-0 when Metzger scored on a two-out single by Marsh. UC San Diego came right back in its half of the inning, capitalizing on a Chico State throwing error to score two unearned runs and take the lead.
 
The Wildcats threatened to tie the score in the top of the fourth inning, but stranded a pair of baserunners. Wampler put up two more zeroes on Chico State's side of the scoreboard, allowing just a two-out single to Marsh in the fifth, and retiring the 'Cats in order in the sixth.
 
Larsen pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth inning, setting the stage for a late-inning Wildcats rally. It was not to be. Metzger and pinch-hitter Angel Lopez both flied out, and on a 2-2 pitch Worley grounded out to first base, cementing UC San Diego's 2-1 win and effectively ending Chico State's 2019 season.
 
While the disappointment of not making a second straight trip to the NCAA Championship Finals will linger awhile, the future is bright for the Chico State softball team. The 'Cats do say goodbye to seniors Bailey Akins, Wendy Cardinali, Amanda Flores, Ari Marsh, Naomi Monahan and Claire Wayne, but a large contingent of key Wildcats—including Kristin Worley, Brooke Larsen, Reilani Peleti, Amanda Metzger, Sam Mulock, Angel Lopez, and Breanna Martin—will be back, as well as ready-to-go redshirts Courtney Springman and Molly Brown. Combined with several talented recruits, Chico State should have the ingredients in place to maintain its standing as one West Region's top teams in 2020.