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Cox honored, then delivers game-winning hit as Wildcats split doubleheader with Gators
Gwen Cox tied the Wildcats single season stolen base reocrd and doubled home the winning run in a 4-3 victory Saturday over San Francisco State.
4/18/2009 7:21:13 PM
CHICO, Calif. – It was officially billed as Senior Day at University Softball Field, but you could just as easily referred to Saturday as “Gwen Cox Day”…following a pre-game ceremony honoring Cox – the lone Wildcats senior – she tied the Chico State record for most stolen bases in a season and doubled home the game-winner in a 4-3 victory over San Francisco State in the opener of the series-ending doubleheader with the Gators. San Francisco State spoiled what would have been a perfect afternoon for the ’Cats by shading Chico State in the nightcap 2-1.
In the first game of the twinbill pitchers Lauren Walker of the Wildcats and Ashley Jackson of the Gators traded zeroes for the first three innings, but San Francisco State broke through in the top of the fourth when Lea Cardenas blasted a solo homer to left field. Chico State knotted up the contest in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Reina Andreatta, but in the top of the fifth Kendra Wood put the Gators back on top with a run-scoring double, then came home on Kelsey Wood’s single to center to make it a 3-1 game. In the bottom of the fifth the ’Cats tied it when Sam Quadt scored on a throwing error and Bec Johnson knocked in Cox with a single to left. Chico State took its first and only lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth – with two down and pinch runner Christine Johnson at second, Cox one-hopped the left field fence with a booming double to put the Wildcats up 4-3. The Gators got the tying run aboard in the top of the seventh, but Walker was able to secure the final three outs to give Chico State the victory and end the ’Cats five-game losing streak. Walker went the distance to earn the win and improve to 9-16 on the season; Jackson (14-8) took the loss for San Francisco State. Cox, Andreatta and Christina Wieck each had two hits to lead Chico State’s offensive attack. Cox also swiped her 25th base of the year, tying her with Kari Hawkins for most stolen bases by a Wildcat in a single season.
Game two began as another pitcher’s duel, with Chico State’s Jessica McDermott striking out four Gators batters in the first two innings. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Charlotte Honciano scored from second on a two-base throwing error, but San Francisco State answered back in the fourth – Arianna Welch tied the game with an RBI double to left, then scored on a base hit by Karolyn Gubbine to put the Gators in front 2-1. The ’Cats wasted a scoring opportunity by leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, then stranded a runner in scoring position in the sixth. Still trailing by a run, Chico State threatened again in the bottom of the seventh, getting the potential tying run to second…but just as she did Friday, Jackson came in to relieve San Francisco State starter Vanessa Truan and got the final outs necessary to preserve the Gators 2-1 victory and earn a split of the doubleheader. Truan (6-5) was the winning pitcher, with Jackson notching her second save of the season; McDermott (8-19) struck out seven in a complete game effort, but was saddled with the loss. Sam Quadt had two of the three ’Cats hits in the contest.
With a win and a loss Saturday, Chico State moved to 18-35 on the season and 6-26 in the CCAA…San Francisco State’s overall record is now 27-20, 9-15 in conference play.
The Wildcats are back in action Saturday when they host Academy of Art University for a doubleheader at University Softball Field. Game one’s first pitch is scheduled for noon.
GAME ONE - Box Score
GAME TWO - Box Score
Softball at Humboldt State (DH)
3.12.10 | 1:00 p.m.
Softball at Humboldt State (DH)
3.13.10 | 12:00 p.m.
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Wildcats of the Week
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Women's Track
There’s something about the annual Chico Multi that always brings out the best in heptathlete Kelly Clancey. For the second straight year, the junior from Modesto earned an NCAA Championships provisional bid in the heptathlon during the two-day Chico Multi, collecting 4,743 total points over the seven events, easily surpassing the 4,400 points needed to secure the provisional bid.
Clancey was the dominant athlete in the 12-person field, taking first place in four of the seven hepthatlon events. She took top honors in the high jump (5 feet, 3.25 inches), long jump (17 feet, 9.5 inches), 100-meter hurdles (15.42 seconds) and the 800-meter run (2 minutes, 20.25 second), while finishing second in the 200-meter dash (26.34 seconds), fourth in the shot put and sixth in the javelin throw.
Clancey, already well ahead of last season's schedule in which she scored a 4,400 in the Chico Multi and went on to post a career-best 4,811 at the CCAA Championships and advance to the NCAA Championships, will try to better her provisional mark March 24-25 at the California Multi, hosted by UC Berkeley.
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Men's Golf
Sylvester Gama carded three consecutive sub-par rounds and finished alone in second place at 7-under par at the Coyote Classic last Monday and Tuesday. Gama, competing as an individual, finished six strokes clear of third place in a standout performance that was bettered only by Cal State San Bernardino's Gene Webster, Jr.
Gama went 2-under in the opening round on the par-70 course at Arrowhead Country Club. He went 1-under in the afternoon. And on Tuesday, Gama's 66 was bettered only by Webster and matched his teammate Kyle Souza for the third lowest round of the tournament.
A 6-foot senior from Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara CC), Gama has now gone under par in eight of his 16 rounds of the 2009-10 season. His stroke average of 72.1 is second on the Wildcats as are his three top-five finishes.
Those efforts have made him easily the team's most improved player thus far this season. His stroke average was 75.3 last season and he had just one top-10 finish - an eighth-place finish at the CCAA Championships.
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3.5.10 | Softball
CHICO – Since joining the Chico State softball team a little over a year ago, Jessica McDermott has been the Wildcats’ original hard luck pitcher. In 2009, the sophomore from San Diego lost eight games in which she gave up just two runs or less…and this season she’s already experienced her share of ups and downs. But Friday at University Softball Field, McDermott was not to be denied, twirling a four-hit shutout and striking out a career-high 10 batters – including the final three to end the game – to give the Wildcats a 1-0 victory over Oregon Tech and salvaging a split of their doubleheader with the Hustlin’ Owls. Earlier in the day, Oregon Tech bested the ’Cats by a final of 7-2.
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3.4.10 | Softball
CHICO – Some say momentum is overrated; a cliché sports term that downplays what actually makes a team a winner. But one thing that can’t be debated is that the Chico State softball team is currently riding a three game winning streak, highlighted by an exciting 11-inning, 3-2 series-ending victory last Sunday against Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Wildcats look to build on the momentum built up in the Toros series this Friday with a non-conference doubleheader against Oregon Tech. The first game of the twinbill is scheduled to start at noon at University Softball Field.
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3.1.10 | Softball
CHICO – Several members of the Chico State softball team turned in outstanding performances over the weekend, leading to the Wildcats winning three out of four against Cal State Dominguez Hills at University Softball Field. But two ’Cats in particular – third baseman Bec Johnson and lefty reliever Caitlin Byrne – played major roles in the team’s success, and Monday they were honored as the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for the period of Feb. 22-28.
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2.28.10 | Softball
CHICO – The resurgance of the Chico State softball team has already yielded some pretty impressive results – just 14 games into the 2010 campaign, the Wildcats have matched last season’s number of home victories and conference wins, and are two games above the .500 mark thanks to Sunday’s doubleheader sweep of Cal State Dominguez Hills at University Softball Field. The ’Cats piled up a dozen hits to handily win the opener 9-1, then came from behind twice in the nightcap, finally topping the Toros 3-2 in 11 innings.
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2.27.10 | Softball
CHICO – Freshman Caitlin Byrne had to wait patiently to make her Chico State pitching debut, and after sitting on the sidelines for the team’s first 10 games of the season, the San Diego native finally got the call in the Wildcats’ home-opening doubleheader against Cal State Dominguez Hills. The San Diego native did not disappoint, tossing a combined four-and-a-third innings of shutout ball and picking up the victory as Chico State beat the visiting Toros 7-5 in the nightcap at University Softball Field. In the first game of the twinbill, Cal State Dominguez Hills survived a seventh inning Wildcat rally to win 3-2.
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2.25.10 | Softball
CHICO – With a solid day of rain in the forecast for Friday, the scheduled softball doubleheader between Chico State and Cal State Dominguez Hills that was to kick off a four game series has been postponed. The Wildcats – set to play their first home games of the 2010 season – will now take on the visiting Toros in doubleheader action this Saturday and Sunday at University Softball Field. Exact start times are still to be determined.
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2.23.10 | Softball
Chico State’s top slugger from a year ago, Rachel Failla, is already providing the 2010 edition of the Wildcats with plenty of middle-of-the-lineup production. Failla batted .364 over the weekend, collecting a pair of extra base hits – including her first home run of the year – and drove in four runs in Chico State's four-game series against Cal State Monterey Bay. She is the first Chico State softball player this spring to be named the Wildcat of the Week.
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