TURLOCK—Just as it had hoped, the Chico State softball team's bats came alive Friday during opening day action at the Tournament of Champions, presented by the City of Turlock. The Wildcats, mired in the offensive doldrums the past three weeks, piled up a combined 15 runs and 20 hits to post a pair of victories at Pedretti Park, downing Holy Names 10-7 and following up with a 5-0 whitewash of Simon Fraser.
Friday's two wins put a halt to Chico State's four-game losing streak and vaulted the Wildcats back over the .500 mark with a season record of 13-12.
Rachael Bles and Hailey Seva each collected three hits on the day to lead the 'Cats' attack, with Blaire Willson, Grace Stover, Tayler Berens, Ashley Rocha, and Anastacia Alba contributing two knocks apiece.
Chico State's first game of the day was a wild one against Holy Names. The Wildcats blew out of the blocks with a crooked number in the top of the first inning—Stover led off with a walk and scored when the Hawks tried to throw out Mia Santos on a sacrifice bunt. Willson soon followed with a single to left-center to plate Santos, and Berens scored from third on a walk to Seva. Lanie Blomquist capped off the uprising with a two-out, two-run single, giving the 'Cats an early 5-0 lead.
Holy Names answered with three runs in its half of the first inning, and it remained a two-run game until Chico State plated a pair in the top of the fourth. Santos led off with a single, stole second and third base, and came home on a Grace Gallagher sacrifice fly. Willson then doubled and scored on Seva's single down the third base line, extending the Wildcats' lead to 7-3. It didn't last long, however, as three Chico State errors helped the Hawks score four times in the bottom of the fourth to knot up the contest at 7-7.
The game remained tied until the top of the seventh inning. Chico State loaded the bases with one out, and after a force play at home, Kyra Gooler came through with a clutch two-out single to chase home Santos, Stover, and Bles to put the Wildcats back in front. There was a bit of drama in the bottom of the seventh, as Holy Names got the potential tying run to the plate with two outs, but 'Cats' righthander Mari Takeda Bajan got the Hawks' Iris Bejarno to ground out to third base to end it, locking down Chico State's 10-7 win.
Takeda Bajan allowed no earned runs in four innings of relief work to earn the victory, raising her season record to 2-3.
In the 'Cats' second game Friday, they staked starting pitcher Katelyn Oldwin to an early lead against Simon Fraser. Bles rapped a two-run single to plate Oldwin and Seva in the top of the second, and before the inning was over Stover's ground-rule double knocked in Rocha to give Chico State a 3-0 lead.
That would turn out to be all the offense that Oldwin would need. She was masterful in the circle, scattering four hits and striking out six while not walking a batter. Oldwin finished her sparkling outing by retiring the last 15 Simon Fraser batters she faced.
Nonetheless, the Wildcats provided some insurance in the top of the sixth inning—with Rocha aboard, Bles ripped a ball into center field that would result in an inside-the-park home run, extending Chico State's advantage to 5-0. Oldwin took it from there, setting down the Red Leafs without incident in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the 'Cats second victory of the day.
Oldwin posted her fifth complete game and second shutout of the year to even her season record at 4-4.
The Wildcats play two more games Saturday during day two action of the Tournament of Champions. Chico State takes on Saint Martin's at 9 a.m. at Warrior Field on the Stanislaus State campus, followed by a 4:30 p.m. showdown at Pedretti Park against Dominican. Fans can follow the action of both games online with Live Stats, with links available on the Wildcat Athletics homepage or the softball schedule page. Saturday morning's Saint Martin's game offers live streaming video; a CCAA Network subscription is required to view the action.
