HAYWARD—In a season that has seen the Chico State softball team experience both tantalizing highs and frustrating lows, the Wildcats came through in crunch time when they really needed to—and as a result, they're headed to the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament. In a must-win situation, the 'Cats officially advanced to postseason play for the seventh straight season with a series-ending doubleheader sweep of Cal State East Bay Saturday in Hayward, downing the Pioneers by scores of 6-2 and 11-4.
 
Chico State concludes the regular season winning four of its last five games to improve to  23-24 on the season. More importantly, the late-season surge gives the Wildcats the sixth and final seed in the upcoming CCAA Tournament. The 'Cats, San Francisco State, Cal Poly Humboldt, and Cal State East Bay were all mathematically alive for the conference's No. 6 seed heading into the final day of regular season play, but Chico State's doubleheader sweep of East Bay (24-31, 13-23 CCAA) eliminated the Pioneers. San Francisco State split its doubleheader with Cal State San Bernardino, and Humboldt split with Cal State Monterey Bay Saturday, leaving the Gators and Lumberjacks on the outside looking in and ending their respective seasons.
 
The Wildcats will begin postseason play Wednesday at 12 noon, facing No. 3 seed Cal State San Marcos (27-18, 20-12 CCAA) at the CCAA Tournament, in the first of two scheduled first round single-elimination games.
 
The 'Cats piled up a combined 17 runs and 19 hits in Saturday's doubleheader sweep of East Bay. Tayler Berens posted five hits and scored five times; Rachel Bles contributed four hits and three runs batted in, and Grace Stover delivered three hits and six RBI. Anastacia Alba and Mia Santos each added two hits to the Wildcats' attack.
 
Game one of Saturday's doubleheader saw Chico State starting pitcher Amelie Valdez get off to a great start, striking out four Cal State East Bay hitters over the first two innings. In the top of the third, the Wildcats loaded the bases, and Stover promptly emptied them with a triple inside the first base bag and down the right field line. Santos, Berens, and Alba all came around to score, putting the 'Cats on top 3-0.
 
The Pioneers answered with a run in their half of the third, but Chico State prevented a second run from scoring on the play when Sarah Duran was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay from Santos to Bles to Brianna Swihart.
 
While Valdez set down East Bay in order in the fourth and fifth innings, the Wildcats added to their lead. In the top of the fifth, Stover delivered again, knocking in Santos and Berens with a double. In the sixth, Hailey Seva scored on an RBI groundout by Berens, putting Chico State up 6-1.
 
Valdez ran into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth, as the Pioneers plated a run and put a runner at second with just one out. Mari Takeda Bajan came on in relief for the 'Cats and stopped the East Bay offense dead in its tracks, getting the final two outs in the sixth and setting down the Pioneers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to put the finishing touches on Chico State's big 6-2 victory.
 
Valdez struck out seven in earning her eighth win of the season.
 
Game two of Saturday's double dip began with the Pioneers scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning. East Bay maintained its lead until the top of the third, when the Wildcats sent 11 batters to the plate and put up a huge crooked number in the run column. Bles led off with a double, and two batters later was doubled home by Berens to knot up the contest. Stover followed with an RBI single, then Alba scored on a groundout by Takeda Bajan to up the 'Cats advantage to 3-1. Katelyn Oldwin reached on a two-out error that brought home Stover, and then with the bases loaded, Bles capped the rally with her second extra-base hit of the inning, a triple to left-center to knock in Oldwin, Santos, and Lanie Blomquist, making the score 7-1.
 
Cal State East Bay was not about give up without a fight. The Pioneers immediately cut into the deficit by scoring three times in their half of the third inning. Chico State got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth, when Berens scored from third on a Takeda Bajan sacrifice fly.
 
With Valdez coming on in relief and retiring East Bay in order in the fourth and fifth innings, the Wildcats regained their six-run cushion in the top of the sixth as Blomquist delivered an RBI single to plate Stover and Blaire Willson to make the score 10-4.
 
Chico State put a bow on its biggest win of the season with a run in the top of seventh, with Berens leading off the inning with a triple and scoring on a double by Alba. Oldwin took over in the pitcher's circle and set down the Pioneers without incident in the bottom of the seventh, securing the 'Cats' 11-4 victory, the doubleheader sweep, and the continuation of the 2023 season.
 
Takeda Bajan, the second of three Wildcat pitchers in the nightcap, got credit for the win to raise her season record to 8-6.
 
Fans will be able to follow Wednesday's Chico State-Cal State San Marcos CCAA Tournament first round game with Live Stats and live streaming video, with links located on the Wildcat Athletics homepage and the softball schedule page. Accessing the live video stream requires a $9.95 monthly subscription fee.