Way back in the day, the popular slogan for Wrigley's Doublemint Gum was "double your pleasure, double your fun." The Chico State softball team took that old saying to heart and put it to practical use on a warm Friday afternoon at University Softball Field, using six two-base hits to propel the offense to 6-2 and 3-0 victories in a series-opening doubleheader sweep of visiting Cal State East Bay.
 
The two Friday wins moved Chico State to 28-11 on the season while helping the Wildcats maintain sole possession of second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with an 18-8 conference mark. Cal State East Bay slipped to 19-17 overall and 10-12 in CCAA play.
 
Rachel Bles hammered out four of Chico State's 17 hits on the day, with Reilani Peleti and Alani Nguyen collecting three knocks apiece. Amanda Metzger and Nina Revoir contributed two hits to the Wildcats' attack.
 
Game one of Friday's twin bill saw Cal State East Bay jump out to an early lead, plating a run in the top of the first inning against Chico State starting pitcher Brooke Larsen. Pioneers pitcher Abby Greer set down the Wildcats without incident over the first two frames, but in the bottom of the third Chico State put a crooked number on the board—with the bases loaded, Nguyen roped a line-drive double that hit the base of the center field fence, driving in Revoir, Grace Stover, and Anastacia Alba. Later in the inning, Nguyen came home when Metzger doubled down the right field line, extending the 'Cats' advantage to 4-1.
 
The Wildcats added to their lead with single runs in the next two innings. In the fourth, Stover reached on an error and eventually scored on an infield single by Revoir to make the score 5-1, then in the fifth Larsen led off with a triple and scored when Bles slapped a base hit to right field.
 
Cal State East Bay notched a run in the top of the sixth inning, but that would turn out to be the Pioneers' last hurrah. Larsen set East Bay down in order in the seventh to officially seal the deal and give Chico State the 6-2 victory.
 
Larsen got credit for the win, upping her season record to 14-4. The Wildcats' ace struck out nine in going the distance for the 17th time this year.
 
Mari Takeda Bajan was in the pitcher's circle for the 'Cats in the nightcap, and the freshman righthander twirled a gem, allowing just two hits and striking out six over seven shutout innings. She received plenty of early run support—in the bottom of the first inning, Chico State scored when Peleti doubled home Bles; in the second, it was a line double to left by Angel Lopez that drove in Hailey Seva, and in the third Peleti delivered another RBI double to put the Wildcats up 3-0.
 
That was more than enough offense for Takeda Bajan, who retired 18 of the final 19 East Bay batters she faced to register her second shutout and fifth win of the season, giving Chico State the 3-0 victory and the doubleheader sweep.
 
The Wildcats and Pioneers wrap up their four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Fans unable to attend in person can follow the action online with live streaming video via the CCAA Network (a monthly fee is required to view). Live Stats will also be available, with links found at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section of the website's homepage, and on the Chico State softball schedule page.