BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 Box Scores:  Game One  |  Game Two

CHICO, Calif. -- Shannon Kehr blasted her team-leading seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot in the opener to help 23rd-ranked Sonoma State to a 6-2 win over ninth-ranked Chico State, but the host Wildcats rebounded with a 6-1 win in the series finale on Saturday, taking three wins from the Seawolves in the four-game series this weekend at the University Softball Field in Chico.  Sonoma State falls to 17-8 this season and into fifth place in the CCAA standings with a 9-7 mark in conference play.  Chico State rises to 18-5 (12-4 CCAA).

Game One:  #23 Sonoma State 6, #9 Chico State 2 -- Box Score

It was a rematch of Friday's series-opening, nine-inning standoff between Sonoma's Samantha Lipperd and Chico's Sam Baker, but Saturday's game would yield a much different result.  The Seawolves, who were held to no runs and just one hit in nine innings against Baker, plated three runs in the top of the second inning alone, thanks to the three-run home run by Kehr, scoring Keisi Chinen and Ancia Purdy.

The bats continued to heat up for SSU in its next offensive opportunity, as Purdy pounded an RBI single down the left field line to score Danielle D'Eccliss from second base.  On the same play, Vanessa Currie, who was on first base at the time of Purdy's single, advanced to third, but was able to score due to a misplay by Chico State left fielder Sam Quadt, helping Sonoma State sprint out to a 5-0 lead.

With junior ace Samantha Lipperd in the circle, the Seawolves felt comfortable with a five-run lead, but that changed in the fourth as the Wildcats managed to score a pair of runs and threatened for more.  After surrendering a couple of RBI singles to Quadt and Diana Payan and facing runners on second and third with only one out, Lipperd battled back, earning a strikeout and an inning-ending lineout to escape with only two Chico runs to cross the plate.

The Seawolves weren't done offensively and Hayley Condon sent that message to the Wildcats with one out in the sixth, smacking a double to left center field; just her second hit of the season.  On a groundout by Kehr, Condon moved to third base, then scored on a single by Samantha Lepp, increasing the SSU lead to four at 6-2.

With Sonoma State looking for its first win of the series, Lipperd was her usual, dominant self, retiring six of the last seven batters she faced to close out the game and improve to 12-2 this season.  She gave up three hits, but allowed two runs, in addition to walking three and striking out seven.  Kehr went 2 for 3 with the aforementioned home run in the second inning.  Purdy went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Chico State's Baker (7-3), meanwhile, gave up eight SSU hits, six runs (five earned), she walked four and struckout five from the pitcher's circle.  Britt Wright, Quadt and Payan accounted for the only hits for the Wildcats.

Game Two:  #9 Chico State 6, #23 Sonoma State 1 -- Box Score

In the nightcap, it was Chico State to take the first lead with two runs in the first, then the Wildcats added a run in the fourth and three runs in the fifth to hold a 6-0 advantage on the Seawolves and SSU starter Ciara Becerril.  Becerril (5-6) allowed four runs in four-plus innings of work before being replaced by Lipperd in the fifth.

It wasn't until the top of the sixth that Sonoma State finally worked its way onto the scoreboard.  Ali Palermo contibuted an RBI single that scored D'Eccliss, but it would be the only offense that the Seawolves could muster up, falling 6-1 to close out the series, despite seven hits by SSU in the ballgame.  Kehr was near perfect at the plate in the nightcap, going 3 for 4 with a double at the leadoff spot, followed by two hits and the RBI from Palermo.

Jessica McDermott (7-1) got the win for Chico State, scattering seven hits and allowing the one run (although unearned) in the sixth.  She walked five and struckout one in her complete-game effort.  Wright went 3 for 4 to lead the Wildcats.

Sonoma State returns home on Tuesday to host Cal Baptist in a non-conference doubleheader at the Seawolf Softball field before hitting the road for the next three weekends, starting with a four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino on Friday and Saturday.