CHICO, Calif. – No. 4-ranked Humboldt State tangled with No. 23 Chico State Wednesday and captured a pair of extra-inning victories. The Lumberjacks won the early game 4-2 in eight innings and won a back-and-forth rubber match thriller 3-2 in eight innings.

HSU improved to 16-2-1 overall and 11-1 in CCAA action with the wins. The Jacks remain comfortably atop the conference standings after taking three of four games versus the Wildcats.

“This was a really big series for us, and we knew that we had our work cut out for us,” said Head Coach Shelli Sarchett. “These guys never quit and it paid off in the end. Playing these types of games is only going to make us better and prepare us for the postseason.”

The Jacks will host Cal State San Bernardino in their first homestand of the season beginning Friday, March 18. First pitch is scheduled for noon.

GAME ONE 
(Humboldt State 4, Chico State 2 - Eight Innings)

The Jacks struck early in the first game of the afternoon. Hanna Holland opened the game with a lead off single, swiped second and came home on a Tiffany Hollingsworth sacrifice fly.

A late miscue kept the Green and Gold from a win in the seventh inning. With runners at second and third with two outs, Lorren Sharp lifted a pop up to second base, which dropped between the HSU infielders moving to make the final out. The error brought home the Wildcats base runner at third and knotted the game at 1-1. Despite the error, the Jacks alertly threw home to tag the would-be winning runner and ended the inning.

HSU plated three runs in the top of the eighth to secure the win. Cindy Chavez recorded a two-out RBI bunt single that was followed by a run-scoring single from Holland. The Wildcats committed a pair of costly errors in the frame, including one on the Holland RBI single that scored the Jacks’ fourth run.

Despite a solo home run from Rachel DeHart in the bottom half of the inning, senior pitcher Katie Obbema continued her dominating performance. Obbema went the distance en route to her seventh win of the season. She allowed one earned run and matched a season-high with eight strikeouts.

Holland went 3-of-4 at the plate and finished with a team-best three steals. She has reached base safely in every game this season and extended her hitting streak to nine straight games.

GAME TWO
(Humboldt State 3, Chico State 2 - Eight Innings)

Chico State struck first in the rubber match, but HSU wasn’t ready to quit.

With runners at first and second with one out in the second inning, Kelly Sonnemann drilled an RBI single down the right field line and tied the game. Sonnemann stole second during the next at bat, and the throw to catch the Jacks left fielder allowed Sydney Roberts to score from third.

Haley Gilham drove in the tying run with a double off the centerfield fence in the fourth and forced extra innings.

With two outs in the eighth inning, Breonna Bejaran notched her only hit of the afternoon and it was worth the wait. Bejaran belted a waist high pitch over the left field wall for her fourth home run of the season.

Another strong pitching performance from Madison Williams gave the Jacks the opportunity to secure the series win. Williams battled through 8.0 innings, scattered 10 hits, allowed two runs and fanned six. She improved her season pitching record to a perfect 8-0.

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