Three times this season, the Chico State softball team has applied the broom to its opponent with a four-game series sweep. But this weekend against Cal State San Marcos, the Wildcats found themselves on the wrong end of said broom. After dropping a series-opening doubleheader Friday, the 'Cats fell to the Cougars Saturday by scores of 5-2 and 17-7 in action at University Softball Field.
Rarely in the Angel Shamblin era have the Wildcats come away from a four-game series without at least one win. The only other time Chico State suffered a series sweep with Shamblin at the helm was way back in April of 2013. The last time the 'Cats dropped a four-game set at home—March 27–28, 2009 against then-named Humboldt State—actually predates Shamblin taking over the program.
Chico State fell to 22-8 on the season and 14-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with the doubleheader loss. Cal State San Marcos, which at the beginning of the series was tied with the Wildcats atop the conference standings, extended its winning streak to eight straight, improving to 27-3 overall and 18-2 in CCAA play.
There weren't a whole lot of bright spots for the 'Cats Saturday, but Reilani Peleti did deliver three of the team's 11 hits on the day, while Nina Revoir and Amanda Metzger each hit their fifth home run of the year, going back-to-back in the second game of the twin bill.
Saturday's doubleheader opener was a tightly-played affair until San Marcos put up crooked numbers in both the fifth and sixth innings. Chico State jumped out in front in the bottom of the first inning on an Alani Nguyen RBI groundout, and Wildcats starting pitcher Mari Takeda Bajan kept the 'Cats in front by twirling four shutout innings.
In the top of the fifth, the Cougars took advantage of a two-out error to score twice on the play and take the lead. San Marcos went up 5-1 by adding three more in the sixth, one coming on a Kayla Mack pinch-hit home run and two on another two-out Wildcat miscue. Chico State got a run back in the bottom of the sixth when Peleti scored from third on a dropped pop-up off the bat of Metzger, but the 'Cats would go relatively quietly in the seventh, as the Cougars locked down the 5-2 win.
Takeda Bajan allowed just one earned run in tossing the first complete game of her Chico State career, but the freshman was tagged with the loss to slip to 2-2 on the season.
Game two started very encouragingly for the 'Cats, as Revoir went yard with two aboard and Metzger followed with a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. Chico State added another run in the second—Grace Stover's RBI groundout plated Rachael Bles—and one more in the third when Bles doubled home Revoir. With starting pitcher Katelyn Oldwin tossing three scoreless frames, the Wildcats took a 6-0 lead into the fourth inning.
And then the roof caved in on the 'Cats.
San Marcos sent 17 batters to the plate in the fateful fourth frame, and nine hits, three walks, and two Chico State errors later, the Cougars had scored 13 runs to take firm control of the contest. San Marcos added four more runs in the top of the sixth, and though the Wildcats were able to answer in their half of the inning when Angel Lopez scored on an infield single by Peleti, it wasn't nearly enough to keep the Cougars from salting away the 17-7 victory and put the finishing touches on the doubleheader and series sweep.
The Wildcats are on the road next weekend, traveling to Southern California to take on the Toros of Cal State Dominguez Hills (21-10 overall, 12-8 CCAA). The four-game series kicks off with a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m., followed by a Saturday twin bill beginning at 11 a.m.
