Chico State softball lived up to the hype in daytime doubleheader
The Chico State Wildcats got their game going right away in the second inning when, after loading the bases and scoring two runs, third baseman Drew Rodriguez hit a bases-clearing double. The momentum shifted to Chico State in that moment, and they didn’t look back for rest of the day, culminating in back-to-back losses.
Head Coach Shelli Sarchett reflected on her team’s performance.
“Our team is too good to be playing the way we’re playing,” Sarchett said. “We’ve got to figure something out. We’ve got to turn it around right now. We have our moments of brightness, but they’re overshadowed by the moments of darkness.”
Sarchett said their pitching has been struggling and it needs to get better if the team wants to compete.
In the third inning of the first game, Chico pitcher Brooke Larsen clobbered a two-run home run to left field. The Wildcats followed this up with an onslaught of additional offense.
Following five straight runners scoring, Rodriguez hit another bases-clearing double in the fourth inning. This felt like the exclamation mark on the game. The mercy rule came into mind as things were falling apart fast.
Fast forward to the fifth inning Chico had a 17-0 lead. The Jacks didn’t get shut out, though, and managed to squeeze out a run when shortstop Adriana Chavez reached first on an error by Chico shortstop Kristin Worley, and third baseman Izzy Starr scored on an unearned run.
Sophomore shortstop Adriana Chavez makes a play during the Jacks game against Chico State on Feb. 22 at HSU Softball Field | Photo by Thomas Lal 
Junior second baseman Danica Grier slides into third during the second game of a double header against Chico State at HSU Softball Field on Feb. 22 in a game where the Jacks stole 5 bases. | Photo by Thomas Lal 
Humboldt State outfielder Lauren Lipe runs into to make a catch off of a pop fly during the Jacks game against Chico State on Feb. 22 at HSU Softball Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Unfortunately, the Jacks also ran themselves into an out on the very same play as right fielder Mariah Kalamaras was tagged out at third base to end the game.
Jacci Crowe notched the only hit for the Jacks.
The first game was one to forget, but the second game, while also a loss, was more engaging.
Again, Chico scored first. But rather than fall flat, the Jacks managed to tie the game in their half of the first on a RBI bunt single by junior Danica Grier that scored catcher Micaela Harris.
Pitcher Lexee Sheiring was a workhorse in the second game, going almost six innings in relief of starting pitcher Megan Escobar, who got tagged with five earned runs early on.
“I think I just had to take a minute, regroup,” Sheiring said. “Then go out there and really dig through it and be there for my team and show up.”
After trading runs in the following few innings, Chico blew the game wide open in the seventh when shortstop Karter Williams drove in two with a single and right fielder Amanda Metzger brought in Williams on a two run bomb to right.
In their last half of the seventh inning, the Jacks put up a fight when Grier drove in Harris and Starr, and first baseman Anna Brondos followed with an RBI single of their own to bring their team within striking distance. But like the first game, Chico pulled out a victory and swept Saturday’s doubleheader.
