Chico State faced a tough road series against the Stanislaus State Warriors, losing all four games. The Wildcats stayed within one run in three of the four games but were unable to contain the Warriors’ offense.
With a dominant 6-2 record and 0.79 ERA, junior starting pitcher Amelie Valdez took the mound for game one on Friday.
An RBI by Hannah Levy scored the Wildcats’ first run. A troubled fourth inning met Valdez, hitting back-to-back batters to tie the game 1-1. Followed by a pair of hits and a fielding error, the Warriors added four runs to take the lead 5-1. A bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning added another run for Chico State, but they were unable to close the gap and took the loss 5-2.
The Wildcats got off to a promising start in game two when they scored twice in the first inning with hits from Aiyana Curry and Ali Lewis. However, the Warriors responded immediately with four runs to take the lead. Both Curry and Gracie Dunning added one run with solo home runs. Despite offensive efforts, the Wildcats ultimately fell 5-4 to finish Friday’s doubleheader.
Valdez sought redemption when she returned to the mound for game three on Saturday. She started off with two scoreless innings, but surrendered three runs on three hits in the third. The Wildcat offense was silent for five straight innings before Levy’s two-RBI single in the sixth put them on the board, but the late rally wasn’t enough for the win.
With a total of 15 hits, game four headed into extra innings after each offense struggled to generate runs. Kylie Loertscher went the distance and pitched nine innings, recording three strikeouts. Unfortunately, her performance was overshadowed in the 10th inning when an RBI-double sealed the series sweep for the Warriors.
The Wildcats return home to face Cal State Dominguez Hills in a four-game series starting on Friday at noon. Home games are free for students who bring their student ID or show their Canvas home page.
For more information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports.
Rebecca Gonzalez can be reached at [email protected].
