ROHNERT PARK – Courtney Brock’s two-out, two-run single capped a four run sixth inning and lifted the Chico State softball team to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Dixie State Sunday in the NCAA West Sub-Regional at Sonoma State’s Seawolf Field. The Wildcats’ Kacie McCarthy tossed a complete game four-hitter to post her third victory of the postseason and keep Chico State’s 2010 season alive. The co-West Regional champ Wildcats will now face Hawaii Pacific next Friday and Saturday in the West Super Regional for the right to advance to the Division II College World Series.
With the win, Chico State improves to 32-19 on the year. Dixie State, which avoided elimination with wins over Grand Canyon and Sonoma State Saturday, finished its season at 39-14 with Sunday’s loss to the Wildcats.
The game was scoreless through the first five frames, but Chico State had ample opportunities to stake McCarthy to an early lead. Charlotte Honciano led off the Wildcats half of the first inning with a double, and Christine Johnson’s bunt single put runners at the corners with nobody out, but Dixie State starting pitcher Brittnie Whipple was able to work out of the jam unscathed. The Wildcats put two aboard in both the second and third innings as well, only to come up empty. McCarthy, meanwhile, kept the Red Storm bats quiet, holding Dixie State hitless through five innings and allowing just two baserunners; at one point, she retired 12 batters in a row.
The Red Storm finally broke through in the top of the sixth inning, scoring twice on a Shantae Hunter single and making it a 3-0 game when Hunter came home on a Kelsey Mendenhall suicide squeeze. With still nobody out, Dixie State loaded the bases, looking to blow the game wide open…but McCarthy induced two grounders that forced out runners at the plate and struck out pinch hitter Kourtnie Schlachter to keep the Red Storm rally to a minimum.
Chico State answered back in the bottom of the sixth with what turned out to be the game-winning rally. A walk to Bec Johnson and a Rachel Failla double put runners at second and third with nobody out. With Lauren Folta taking over for Whipple in the pitchers circle, Jessie Minch reached on an infield single to load the bases. Honciano put the Wildcats on the board with a single to left, plating Bec Johnson…Christine Johnson then coaxed a bases-loaded walk to force home Failla and cut the Dixie State lead to 3-2. Folta came through with a huge strikeout of Sam Quadt, but with two outs, Brock delivered her biggest hit of the season, slapping a ground single up the middle to bring home Minch and Honciano and put the ’Cats in front 4-3. McCarthy took it from there, retiring the Red Storm in order in the top of the seventh to nail down the victory and send Chico State to the West Super Regional – and one step closer to the national championship.
McCarthy (16-10) went the distance for the 18th time this season in winning her third straight game of the postseason; Folta (20-8) suffered the loss for Dixie State. The Wildcats collected eight hits on the day – four in the fateful sixth inning – with Christine Johnson going 2-for-2 with a RBI and reaching base four times; Honciano also contributed a pair of hits.
BOX SCORE
With just 16 teams still alive in the race for the NCAA championship, Chico State will now turn its attention to the Sea Warriors of Hawaii Pacific, the No. 1 seed in the West Region and third ranked in the nation. The Wildcats will travel to Kaneohe, Hawaii for the best-of-three Super Regional beginning with single game action Friday. The winner of the Super Regional will advance to the Division II College World Series in St. Joseph, Missouri.
