The softball team finished the season Saturday afternoon against Cal State East Bay by taking three games of four against the Pioneers.

The team split Saturday’s doubleheader as the second game took 10 innings to determine if the Wildcats were going to sweep the Pioneers.

Game one

After the Pioneers jumped out front 1-0, leadoff hitter Wendy Cardinali started the scoring when she collected her second hit of the game with a double that scored a run.

Cardinali finished the first game 4-for-4, with two doubles, two RBI’s, and one walk. Cardinali scored two of the Wildcats 10 runs in game one.

Reilani Peleti hit her third home run of the season that scored two in the fourth inning. Three batters later, Angel Lopez hit her second home run of the season and her second home run in the last six at-bats.

Brooke Larsen pitched six innings and allowed five runs. Despite allowing five runs, Larsen picked up her 18th win of the season. She is 18-4 on the season and has a 1.59 ERA. She added seven strikeouts Saturday to reach 150 strikeouts on the season.

“It’s always great having good run support and takes a lot of pressure off of the whole team,” Larsen said.

Wildcats won game one 10-5.

Game two

The final game of the series did not see much offense, but the thriller took 10-innings as the Pioneers were able to complete the comeback.

Ari Marsh collected base hit number 222 with a line drive to the opposite field in the third inning. This made Marsh Chico State’s new all-time softball career hits leader.

Lopez got in the action again as she doubled before Marsh’s career hit and both runners scored in the third inning on an Amanda Flores double.

Despite being 1-for-5 in the final game, Flores had a .336 batting average. She also had a 2.45 ERA on the mound for 25.3 innings.

After three innings, the Wildcats had a three-run lead. In the fifth inning, the Pioneers starting chipping away with a run.

In the seventh inning, the Pioneers tied the game as Sam Lurlock was able to battle out of a bases-loaded jam.

Lurlock pitched 5.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. Lurlock had a 6-4 record with a 1.74 ERA and 35 strikeouts this season.

In the 10th inning, the Pioneers won the final game with a single.

The Wildcats finished the final seven games of the season with six wins.

“Finishing that strong puts us in a really good place for our next tournament and regionals,” Larsen said. “We’re just going to keep competing every game and continue our successes.”

The California Collegiate Athletic Association softball playoffs start on May 2 with the Wildcats currently in second place.

Brandon Downs can be reached at [email protected] or @downsbrandon2 on Twitter.