’Cats ousted in CCAA tourney
Willows alumna Berens hits first home run of her collegiate career in loss
SEASIDE » With the California Collegiate Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year Brooke Larsen still out after exiting her final regular season game with an injury, the Chico State softball team went to a pair of freshman for a second straight day in the CCAA tournament Friday.
The No. 2 seed Wildcats faced off against the No. 4 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday in Seaside in a win-or-go-home matchup on the second day of the CCAA tournament.
Chico State got on the board first with a two-run home run by Nina Revoir in the first inning, but it was Cal State Dominguez Hills which got the win, defeating the Wildcats 6-5 to keep the Toros’ hopes of a CCAA title alive. The loss ends the chance of a CCAA title for Chico State, but with the NCAA Tournament beginning May 12 both teams have a strong chance of keeping their seasons alive.
Cal State Dominguez Hills advances in the loser’s bracket of the CCAA tournament.
Mari Takeda Bajan struggled with control throughout her 1 2/3 innings in the circle, throwing just half of her 50 pitches on the day for strikes. The day got off to a strange start, after a fly out to center field on the first batter of the game was called back due to an illegal pitch. Takeda Bajan walked the leadoff batter Chenoa Au, but escaped the inning with a pair of ground outs.
Takeda Bajan allowed three hits, three walks, four runs (two earned) and struck out one. Freshman Katelyn Oldwin relieved Takeda Bajan for second straight day and did all she could to keep the ‘Cats chances alive.
After allowing a single in the first batter she faced, Oldwin allowed four hits, two earned runs and struck out four in 5 1/3 innings pitched and took her second loss in as many days.
Chico State scored two runs in the first inning on Revoir’s ninth home run of the season and scored twice
more in the bottom of the second inning. Rachael Bless walked with two outs to put runners on first and second, and after Grace Stover singled to right center the runners Bles and Oldwin scored on a throwing error by the Cal State Dominguez Hills shortstop Raquel Jaime.
Jaime got the ball in from the outfield and tried to throw behind Stover, but the throw went past the first baseman and Bles came scored to tie the game at 4-4.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Toros’ cleanup hitter Claudia Valencia blooped a single to left field to score two runs and give Cal State Dominguez Hills a 6-4 lead entering the bottom of the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning and still trailing by two runs, Shamblin went to her bench to Willows High School alumna Tayler Berens. The lefthanded hitting freshman put the Wildcats within one run with her first collegiate home run over the right field fence.
Chico State loaded the bases with walk, a single by Peleti and a walk to Revoir
for Grace Gallagher. Gallagher nearly walked on a 3-1 pitch that appeared to be high that would have tied the game, but the pitch was called a strike and Gallagher
grounded out to second base on the final pitch.
Chico State (36-15) now will await the NCAA West Regional Tournament beginning May 12-May 14.