HSU Softball Splits Tuesday Twinbill with Wildcats

CHICO, Calif. – After losing two weeks of softball action due to inclement weather, No. 4 Humboldt State returned to action Tuesday and split its series-opening doubleheader with Chico State. The Green and Gold lost the first game 11-3 in six innings and captured a 3-1 victory in the nightcap.

“We knew coming in here it was going to be a battle,” said Head Coach Shelli Sarchett. “Chico is a good team. You could definitely tell that not playing for two weeks took a toll on us. We didn't come out strong in the first game. What really showed the character of our team is that we were able to put the first game behind us, move past it and come back and win the second game.”

HSU returns to action against Chico State Wednesday. First pitch for game three of the series is scheduled for 11 a.m.

GAME ONE 
(Chico State 11, Humboldt State 3 – Six Innings)

Julie Pena provided the Jacks offensive spark in game one. Pena belted a two-run, two-out home run in the first inning to give HSU a 2-0 advantage. The long ball was Pena’s second of the season.

After yielding just one hit through two frames, senior pitcher Katie Obbema looked to be en route to her sixth win of the season. The Wildcats spoiled Obbema’s outing with a seven-run third inning.

A bases-clearing triple by Cailin Garmon and a two-run homer from Ari Marsh powered Chico State’s big inning. The Wildcats finished the frame with five hits.

HSU didn’t plate another run until the sixth when Tiffany Hollingsworth hit an RBI single to third.

Chico State added four more runs in the sixth to run-rule the Green and Gold.

Hanna Holland notched her third multi-hit outing of the season and recorded a team-high three hits for the Jacks. She extended her hitting streak to seven straight games.

Obbema took the loss and worked just 2.2 innings. She surrendered a season-high seven runs on six hits and struck out three.

GAME TWO
(Humboldt State 3, Chico State 1)

Madison Williams logged the final 3.0 innings of game one and continued to dominate in the late game. Williams went the distance and secured her team-leading seventh win of the season. She fanned seven and allowed just two hits in the game two victory.

“Maddie came up big for us today and was able to come into the second game and get a win for us,” said Sarchett. “Maddie is throwing well, and it is nice to know that your pitching staff has each other's backs when things don't go right.”

The Jacks took advantage of four Wildcat miscues and found a way to put runs on across the plate.

Cyndi Chavez fired an RBI single into centerfield to put the Jacks on the board in the first inning. A fielding error at third brought home Kelly Sonnemann and improved HSU’s lead to 2-0.

Chico State trimmed the lead to one on a sacrifice fly in the third.

In the top of the seventh the Green and Gold added an insurance run. Hollingsworth walked to start the inning and Carly Perkins pinch ran for the Jacks slugger. Perkins came home two batters later on a Breonna Bejaran sacrifice fly.

Pena tallied a pair of hits in the win, including a seventh inning double that moved Perkins to third.

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