ARCATA—The Chico State softball team fell from the ranks of the unbeaten Friday, but the Wildcats certainly didn't dwell on the season's first loss for very long. Humboldt State won game one of the series-opening doubleheader by hanging on for a 4-3 victory, only to see the No. 5 Wildcats unleash a 14-hit attack in the nightcap to roar past the Lumberjacks 15-2 for a split of the twin bill played at Humboldt State University Softball Field.
With the doubleheader split, Chico State moved to 10-1 on the season and remains in first place in the the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 5-1 conference mark. Humboldt State ended the day 4-9 overall and 3-7 in CCAA play.
The Wildcats racked up 20 hits on the afternoon. The Lumberjacks could literally not get Alani Nguyen out—the freshman reached base in all eight of her plate appearances, collecting five hits—four of them for extra bases—while driving in six runs. Sara Mitrano has three hits and four runs batted in, with Drew Rodriguez contributing three hits along with three RBI. Karter Williams also chipped in with three hits, while Amanda Metzger and Kristin Worley each delivered a pair of hits for the 'Cats.
In the opener of Friday's double dip, Chico State drew first blood in the top of the second inning. Two walks, a fielder's choice, and a sacrifice fly by Angel Lopez plated Shelby Burdette with the first run of the game. Humboldt State tied up the contest in its half of the second, then went up 3-1 in the third on a two-run double by Izzy Starr.
Sara Mitrano came up big in game two of Friday's series-opening doubleheader against Humboldt
State, banging out three hits and knocking in four runs in the Wildcats' 15-2 victory.
The Wildcats cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth inning, as Nguyen tripled home Rodriguez. But despite getting the tying run in scoring position in the fourth, fifth, and sixth inning, Chico State was unable to pull even.
Humboldt State scored what turned out to be a huge insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Down 4-2, the Wildcats rallied in the top of the seventh, as Williams cracked a one-out double, stole third, and came home on Worley's single to left. Two batters later, Nguyen slapped an opposite-field single down the right field line to put runners at the corners, but Lumberjacks reliever Lexee Sheiring got Reilani Peleti to pop up to third base to end it, giving Humboldt State the 4-3 victory.
'Cats' starting pitcher Brooke Larsen struck out seven on the way to recording her fifth complete game of the season, but took the loss to slip to 5-1 on the season.
Chico State cranked up the offense early in game two, with Mitrano doing a large portion of the damage. The Wildcats' catcher singled home Nguyen in the top of the second inning, then in the third followed a two-run homer by Rodriguez (the first of her Chico State career) with a base hit to plate Nguyen and Peleti. The four-run frame gave the 'Cats a 5-0 lead.
The Wildcats scored twice in the top of the fourth inning. Williams reached on an error and eventually came home from third on a wild pitch. Nguyen followed with her first collegiate home run, a solo shot down the left field line to extend Chico State's advantage to 7-0.
The 'Cats officially blew the game open in the top of the fifth inning. Mitrano started the uprising with an RBI single to knock in Lopez. Williams came through with a single to plate Metzger, then Mitrano scored on a base hit by Rodriguez to make it 10-0. But the Wildcats were far from done—Nguyen belted a grand slam to straightaway center field, and Lopez followed with a solo homer to nearly the exact same spot. When the dust had finally settled, Chico State had scored eight times to go up 15-0.
Lefthander Sam Mulock turned in another fine performance in the pitcher's circle. After wiggling out of a first inning jam, the senior was never seriously threatened by the Lumberjacks, allowing just two hits over the next four frames. Humboldt State avoided the shutout in the bottom of the fifth inning, capitalizing on a two-out Wildcats error to score a pair of unearned runs. Mulock eventually registered the final out to lock down Chico State's 15-2 win and the doubleheader split.
Mulock fanned seven in the complete game victory, improving her season record to 5-0 while dropping her earned run average to 0.48.
The Wildcats and Lumberjacks conclude their four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action on the Internet with Live Stats and live streaming video, available through the Wildcat Athletics website.
