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'Cats conclude season with doubleheader split vs. Academy of Art
Lauren Walker picked up her 10th win and 14th complete game Saturday in the Wildcats' 5-1 victory over Academy of Art University.
4/25/2009 6:02:34 PM
CHICO, Calif. – The Chico State softball team put the finishing touches on the 2009 season Saturday, splitting a doubleheader against visiting Academy of Art University. Lauren Walker tossed a complete game four-hitter in the opener as the Wildcats posted a 5-1 victory, but in the nightcap Jessica McDermott was outdueled by Ericka Ames and the Urban Knights came away with a 2-1 win.
Game one of the double dip featured a Chico State milestone in the very first frame. Senior Gwen Cox led off the Wildcats’ half of the first inning with a walk and promptly stole second – her 26th swipe of the year breaking the Chico State single season stolen base record that had stood since 1995 (Cox would add another stolen base to her record-setting total later in the game). Ashley Roy’s RBI single gave Academy of Art a 1-0 lead in the top of third inning, but in the fourth the Wildcats took the lead for good – Charlotte Honciano singled home Christina Wieck to tie the score…Rachel Failla scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Sam Quadt…and Christine Johnson’s two-out infield single chased home Honciano to make it a 3-1 ballgame. Chico State put the contest away with two more runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Failla and Jenna Wermes. Walker did the rest, retiring the last five batters in succession to bring home the ’Cats 5-1 victory. Walker (10-16) notched her career single-season best 14th complete game to pick up the win; Academy of Art starter Sierrah Garcia (9-14) took the loss. Honciano went 2-for-3 to lead Chico State’s seven hit attack.
In the nightcap the Urban Knights did all their damage in the third inning…but they got plenty of help from the Wildcats. After McDermott set down the first seven batters she faced, a walk and two singles loaded the bases. Ashley Petty scored from third on a grounder to second when catcher Reina Andreatta mishandled Honciano’s throw to the plate…then McDermott walked Alana Aweau to force home Shelby LaFond to up the Academy of Art lead to 2-0. Chico State missed a pair of golden scoring opportunities early in the ballgame, but in the fifth the ’Cats sliced the Urban Knights lead in half when Jesse Minch singled home Cox to make it a 2-1 contest. In the bottom of the seventh Chico State got the potential tying run to second with only one out, but Ames got Cox to fly out to center and Minch to ground out to second to end the threat and give Academy of Art the 2-1 win and a split of the doubleheader. Ames (6-15) allowed just one unearned run in picking up the victory; McDermott (8-20) allowed just one earned run and tied her season high with seven strikeouts in going the distance, but suffered the hard-luck loss. Cox, playing her last game as a Wildcat, had two of Chico State’s five hits in the nightcap.
With the doubleheader split, the Wildcats finished the 2009 season with an overall record of 19-36 and a CCAA mark of 6-26. Academy of Art, also concluding its season, posted a 15-29 mark on the year.
GAME ONE - Box Score
GAME TWO - Box Score
Softball vs Sonoma State (DH)
3.19.10 | 1:00 p.m.
Softball vs Sonoma State (DH)
3.20.10 | 12:00 p.m.
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Wildcats of the Week
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Baseball
Chico State right fielder Adam Arakawa continued his torrid start to 2010 with four more multi-hit games, finishing 9-for-15, to lead the Wildcats to a series split a four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino over the weekend. The CCAA Player of the Week one week ago, he's been dubbed the Wildcat of the Week this week.
Arakawa doubled twice, scored six times, drove in three runs, and walked three times against San Bernardino. He also recorded the 100th hit of his career and has now registered two or more hits in eight straight games and 12 of the last 13 to raise his average to .493. He is hitting .633 over his past eight games and .571 over his last 13.
In Friday’s 8-5 victory, Arakawa went 2-for-5 and scored a run. He also singled in the 10th as the Wildcats scored three runs to win. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored as the Wildcats dropped first game of a doubleheader Saturday. In the second game, Arakawa went 3-for-3 with a walk, double, run and two RBI. His third hit of that game was the 100th of his Chico State career. Arakawa finished the weekend by going 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI in Chico State’s 20-5 win.
Arakawa leads the Wildcats in batting average (.493) hits (37), runs (33) walks (17) total bases (59), slugging percentage (.787) and on-base percentage (.581). His batting average and slugging percentage are both tops in the CCAA.
Arakawa was the West Region Gold Glove recipient last season and an Honorable Mention All-American, and has not committed an error in 44 chances this season.
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Women's Basketball
Before the 2009-10 even got underway, Chico State women’s basketball Head Coach Brian Fogel described junior guard Natasha Smith as “the key to our success.” Truer words have never spoken, as Smith has turned her already impressive game up a notch to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional title game. Her efforts have netted the Sacramento native her third Wildcat of the Week honor this season.
Smith earned All-NCAA Championship Tournament West Region Team honors by averaging 14 points, 7.7 assists, five rebounds, and three steals per game during the Wildcats’ run to the Sweet 16 and West Region title game.
Friday against third seeded Western Washington, Smith scored 15 points, snared four rebounds, dished out five assists and made three steals as the Wildcats downed the Vikings 79-68. Saturday versus Humboldt State, the All-CCAA first team selection was even better, posting her second career double-double with 15 points and 10 assists, while hauling in a team-high eight rebounds and five steals in Chico State’s come-from-behind 86-76 victory over the Lumberjacks. Monday, in the regional title game against Seattle Pacific, Smith finished with 12 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and a steal while drawing the defensive assignment against Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Daesha Henderson and limiting her to just five points on 1-of-10 shooting.
Smith, who led the CCAA in free throw percentage (.824) and assists (134), also led the ’Cats in scoring (11.5 points per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44). She continues to move up the Chico State career records ladder with each contest. With one year of eligibility still remaining, Smith ranks ninth all-time in scoring, sixth in assists, seventh in free throws and 10th in career steals and 3-pointers.
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3.15.10 | Softball
ARCATA – Three scoops of ice cream, fresh ripe bananas, chocolate syrup, chopped nuts, caramel, fudge, and strawberry toppings and a cherry on top. Before Monday, no split sounded better to the Chico State softball team than the banana variety. Then the Wildcats won one of two at Humboldt State to take two of four in the series against the Lumberjacks, who have been the bullies of the West with 17 straight trips to the NCAA Championship Tournament. Now that was sweet.
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3.14.10 | Softball
ARCATA – Chico State true freshman pitcher Kacie McCarthy is soaking it all in during her first collegiate season. Point in fact – she watched Humboldt State starter Gracie Perez fire a no-hitter in the Lumberjacks’ 4-0 victory in Sunday’s first game and then went out and twirled a complete-game two-hitter as the Wildcats won the nightcap 1-0. McCarthy allowed only leadoff singles in the fourth and sixth, walked three, and struck out five while improving to 5-6 on the season.
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3.10.10 | Softball
CHICO – With just a pair of non-conference games over the past couple of weeks, the Chico State softball team is itching to get back between the chalk lines. The Wildcats will definitely get their wish and then some, playing a minimum of 13 games scheduled over the next 15 days, including a four-game series this Sunday and Monday in Arcata against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival Humboldt State.
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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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