Sports

Wildcats take one in East Bay to avoid second straight sweep

The Wildcats kept themselves within reach of each game, with losses decided by one run

Rebecca Gonzalez, Reporter // April 23, 2025

Number 17, Gracie Dunning, and her coach talk at first base on March 28 at Chico State. They were waiting for the other team to finish their time out at the mound.

Following a bye week, the Wildcats were determined to get back into the win column as they faced the conference leaders, the Cal State East Bay Pioneers, in their final away series of the 2025 season.

The Wildcats were unable to keep the lead in the series opener, falling 5-4 in a walk-off loss. Amelie Valdez entered the circle as the Pioneers grabbed the game’s first lead in the fourth inning by capitalizing on three fielding errors by the Wildcats.

Brianna Swihart led off the sixth inning with a double, and Aiyana Curry followed with a home run to tie the game 2-2. They continued the momentum with back-to-back walks and a hit-by-pitch to Kennedy Gustin to capture a 4-2 lead. However, the Pioneers came back to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh to steal the win.

In game two of Friday’s doubleheader, Curry recorded the only hit for the Wildcats in an extra-inning showdown, which led to a second straight walk-off win for East Bay. After nine scoreless innings, a throwing error in the 10th allowed the Pioneers to score the deciding run. Despite the defeat, Kylie Loertscher went the distance with a prominent performance, pitching a complete game with seven strikeouts and no walks.

The Wildcats turned things around on Saturday and snapped their eight-game losing streak with a 7-1 win. Curry shined with two home runs in back-to-back plate appearances, totaling four RBIs. Itzell De Los Rios, Ali Lewis and Hannah Levy each added an RBI for the victory.

Bella Tavares retired four batters and sacrificed a walk while holding the Pioneers to one run. Valdez took over in the sixth inning and captured her first save of the season.

The Wildcats dropped the final game 1-0 after 12 innings in another tight contest. Loertscher threw her second complete game of the weekend with an impressive 11.1 innings, but lacked the run support. The offense recorded five hits but couldn’t find a way to bring a run home.

The Wildcats extended their record to 20-22 and will return home for their final series against Sonoma State on Friday, starting at 1 p.m.

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].

About the Contributors

Rebecca Gonzalez, Features Reporter

Rebecca Gonzalez is a fourth year student at Chico State, with a major in journalism and minor in broadcasting. This is her second semester on The Orion and she looks forward to incorporating her interest in sports and photography. She also loves listening to music, baking and hanging with her friends.

Jenna McMahon, Copy Editor

Jenna McMahon is a fifth year student, this is her third semester on The Orion and she is the copy editor this semester. She enjoys photography, reading, anything outdoors, traveling, hanging out with friends and playing soccer for the Chico State club team.