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Wildcats open 2010 season with back-to-back wins in Best of the West Invitational
Reina Andreatta knocked in the game winner against UC San Diego and added an RBI single against San Francisco State as the Wildcats won its first two games of the 2010 season in the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational.
2/5/2010 9:24:24 PM
TURLOCK – Wet grounds at Pedretti Park delayed the start of the Chico State softball team’s 2010 season by over two hours, but based on the results of Friday’s first day of the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational, is was certainly worth the wait – the Wildcats rewarded Angel Shamblin with her first two wins as Chico State head coach, beating UC San Diego 3-2 in eight innings, then wrapping up the day’s action by downing San Francisco State 4-2.
It took most of regulation for Chico State’s offense to get untracked in the opening game against UC San Diego. The Wildcats were held scoreless on just four hits through the first six innings, while the Tritons used a single run in the first inning and a Katie Belanger solo homer off Chico State starter Jessica McDermott in the sixth to build a 2-0 lead. The ’Cats came alive in the top of the seventh inning, tying the score on RBI singles by Sam Quadt and Bec Johnson. Chico State pushed across what proved to be the winning run in the top of the eighth as newcomer Courtney Brock scored from third on a Reina Andreatta sacrifice fly. Kacie McCarthy, coming in from the bullpen in her Wildcat debut, wrapped up three innings of scoreless relief by stranding the potential tying run at third in the bottom of the eighth to secure Chico State’s come-from-behind 3-2 victory.
BOX SCORE vs. UC San Diego
McCarthy got the start for the Wildcats against San Francisco State, and she did not disappoint, tossing a complete game six-hitter and striking out seven. Chico State collected 10 hits in the game and provided McCarthy with some early run support, plating three in the top of the third inning – Bec Johnson got the ’Cats on the board with a two-run single, then Rachel Failla picked up a RBI with a sacrifice fly to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. The Gators, with runs in the third and fifth inning, shaved Chico State’s advantage to one, but in top of the seventh the Wildcats tacked on a big insurance run as Andreatta singled home Brock to make it 4-2. McCarthy took it from there, retiring San Francisco State in order in the bottom of the seventh to lock down the Chico State victory.
BOX SCORE vs. San Francisco State
Quadt, Charlotte Honciano and Bec Johnson all had a combined three hits on the day to lead the Wildcat offense, with Johnson collecting three RBI.
Chico State is back in action Saturday in day two of the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational, taking on host school Cal State Stanislaus at 1:00 p.m., followed by a 3:30 p.m. contest against West Virginia’s Davis and Elkins College.
Softball vs Chaminade
3.26.10 | 9:00 a.m.
Softball vs Dixie State
3.26.10 | 11:15 a.m.
Softball vs Grand Canyon
3.27.10 | 9:00 a.m.
Softball vs Western Washington
3.27.10 | 11:15 a.m.
Softball vs Hawaii Hilo
3.27.10 | 4:15 p.m.
Softball vs Bracket play - TBD
3.28.10 | TBD
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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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3.20.10 | Softball
CHICO – It’s been rare this season that Chico State softball pitchers Jessica McDermott and Kacie McCarthy have been effective on the same day. But Saturday, the two righthanders turned in gutsy, back-to-back complete game performances, and the Wildcats provided enough offensive firepower to best visiting Sonoma State in both ends of their doubleheader at University Softball Field, winning the opener 5-3 and beating the Seawolves 3-1 in the nightcap. The sweep of the twinbill gave the ’Cats a split of the four game weekend series.
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3.19.10 | Softball
CHICO – The Chico State softball team stumbled Friday in the doubleheader opener of its four game series with California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) leader Sonoma State, letting a four-run lead slip away in the first game to fall 7-5, then managing just three hits in the nightcap as the visiting Seawolves posted a 4-0 victory in afternoon action at University Softball Field.
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3.18.10 | Softball
CHICO – The Chico State softball team has made great strides this season in revitalizing a program that has struggled the past few years – nearly halfway into the 2010 campaign, the Wildcats are two games above .500 overall and more than holding their own against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opponents. This weekend should serve as a true test of exactly how far the ’Cats have progressed, as Chico State hosts conference leader Sonoma State in doubleheader action Friday and Saturday at University Softball Field.
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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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