For the second straight day, runs were hard to come by for both the Chico State and Stanislaus State softball teams. Friday, the Wildcats scored just two runs, but they were enough to sweep the series-opening twin bill with the Warriors. On Saturday, the 'Cats could only push three runs across the plate, but still ended up with a doubleheader split and a series victory. Chico State edged Stanislaus State in the opener 1-0, but dropped the nightcap 4-2 in extra innings.
Chico State ends the weekend 11-9 on the season and owning a share of fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 6-6 conference record. With Saturday's doubleheader split, Cal State Stanislaus is now 5-13 overall and 3-12 in CCAA play.
The Wildcats produced 11 hits over the two Saturday contests, with Tayler Berens going 5-for-7 to lead the offense. Hailey Seva had a pair of hits on the day.
Game one of the doubleheader saw Stanislaus State's Kyndra Marzorini and the Wildcats' Amelie Valdez lock horns in an entertaining pitcher's duel. Both teams had several innings where they put runners in scoring position, but couldn't deliver the key hit to get them home. In the top of the sixth, the Warriors put two on with nobody out, prompting Wildcats head coach Angel Shamblin to lift Valdez and go to the bullpen. Mari Takeda Bajan came in and retired three straight Stanislaus hitters to promptly quell the rally and keep the game scoreless.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Chico State finally broke through. Berens punched a two-out single into right field and immediately stole second base. Grace Gallagher followed with a line single to center, plating Berens to give the Wildcats the lead.
Down to its last three outs, Stanislaus State made it interesting in the top of the seventh, getting the leadoff batter aboard. Takeda Bajan quickly squelched the last-inning rally by striking out Lauryn Serda and inducing two ground ball outs to end it, giving the 'Cats their third straight 1-0 win of the series.
Game two of the double dip was scoreless until Chico State plated a pair in the bottom of the third inning. Berens put the Wildcats on the board with an RBI single to left, driving in Grace Stover, and later in the frame Seva chased home Blaire Willson with a base hit to right.
Stanislaus cut the deficit in half with a run in the top of the fourth—the Warriors' first run after going scoreless for the first 24 innings of the series. The score remained 2-1 until the top of the seventh, when a two-out RBI single by Noelany Ramirez pulled Stanislaus even. Chico State had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Mia Santos was thrown out at home trying to score from third on a grounder by Willson, and the contest moved into extra innings deadlocked at 2-2.
The Warriors capitalized on another two-out RBI hit—this one by Sheridan Gully—that drove in a pair in the top of the eighth to give Stanislaus its first lead of the entire series. Thanks to a two-out walk to Anastacia Alba in the bottom of the eighth, the Wildcats got the potential tying run to the plate, but Rachael Bless popped up to second base for the final out, as Stanislaus salvaged the series finale by a score of 4-2.
Chico State is back in action next weekend, traveling to Southern California to take on Cal State San Bernardino (14-15, 10-10 CCAA) in a four-game series with doubleheaders scheduled Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.
