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

CHICO, Calif. -- It began as another pitcher's duel and it took nine innings to break a scoreless tie in the series opener.  However, the Sonoma State softball team found itself on the losing end, surrendering the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to Chico State, before the host Wildcats held on at the end of game two to win 7-4, completing the doubleheader sweep of the Seawolves on Friday in Chico. 

Sonoma State, which is ranked at No. 23 in this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll, falls to 8-6 in conference play (16-7 overall).  Chico State, which is also ranked in the national poll at No. 9, improves to 10-3 in the CCAA and 17-4 overall.

Game One:  #9 Chico State 1, #23 Sonoma State 0  (9 innings)  --  Box Score

The Seawolves began to put pressure on Wildcat starter Sam Baker, being patient at the plate and drawing three walks to load the bases, albeit with two outs.  Baker worked herself out of the jam, however, and left all three runners on base after forcing a foulout to end the inning.

From then on out, Baker cruised through the Seawolf lineup, only allowing three Sonoma State base runners over what would turn out to be the next eight innings.

Meanwhile, Samantha Lipperd controlled the circle just as dominantly, but right from the start, allowing only three Chico State base runners in the first eight innings.  It was in the ninth that the host Wildcats started putting some offense together.  Britt Wright led off the ninth with a single to left field, only the third hit given up by Lipperd up until that point.  Wright then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bianco Lopez.  Sam Quadt reached on an infield single, but Wright was forced to remain at second base on the play, putting runners on first and second with one out.  Lipperd struckout Hailey Stockman for the second out, but Diana Payan delivered the game-winning single through the left side of the infield, allowing Wright to score from second.

Lipperd (11-2), who was named last week's NFCA Division II National Pitcher of the Week, suffered just her second loss of the season, despite giving up only five hits (only two hits through the first eight innings).  She added to her CCAA-leading strikeout total of 113 with eight on Friday.  Vanessa Currie was the only Sonoma State batter to record a hit off of Chico State's Baker (7-2).  Baker struckout nine Seawolves, but also walked five.

Game Two:  #9 Chico State 7, #23 Sonoma State 4  --  Box Score

After being shutout in game one, Sonoma State was the first to draw blood in game two, plating two runs in the second inning, thanks to an RBI double by Keisi Chinen, scoring Shannon Kehr, and a RBI suicide-squeeze bunt by Danielle D'Eccliss to bring home Chinen.

Chico State would cut the SSU lead in half during its next at bat on an RBI single by Taylor Hanamaikai.  The Wildcats would then take the 3-2 lead in the third inning, scoring two runs on singles by Quadt and Stockman.

The lead would be shortlived, however, as Kehr smacked a one-out triple to right field before coming across the plate on a wild pitch by Chico pitcher Jessica McDermott to knot the game at 3-3.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats regained the lead when they put runners on first and third with one out.  During the next at bat, Kelli Keefe, who came in as a pinch runner, took off the second to try and draw the throw from SSU catcher Skylynn Myers.  As the throw was made towards the second base area, Stockman took off for home.  Kehr cut the throw off between second base and the pitching rubber to try and throw Stockman out at home, but the throw was late and Stockman gave Chico State the 4-3 lead.

Then, in the Wildcat sixth, Chico State plated three runs on a couple of hits and an error to put the game almost out of reach at 7-3 with just three defensive outs to claim the doubleheader sweep.

Despite recording two straight outs, Sonoma State rallied for three consecutive hits, one of which scored Megan Konieczka to narrow the deficit to three runs.  However, McDermott got Currie to fly out to center field, ending the game.

Becerril (5-5) was tagged with the loss, giving up all nine of Chico State's hits in the five-plus innings she pitched, allowing seven runs (four earned) and one walk.  Her counterpart, McDermott (6-1), gave up seven hits to Seawolf hitters, allowing four runs (two earned) and two walks.

Offensively for the Seawolves, Kehr went 1 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored and Samantha Lepp went 2 for 3 with an RBI.  For the Wildcats, Wright and Stockman both went 2 for 4 to lead the hosts.

Sonoma State and Chico State will wrap up its four-game series on Saturday in Chico with a doubleheader, starting at 12:00 p.m.