CHICO — Chico State softball’s catcher Sara Mitrano said each time bullpen Brooke Larsen steps human foot into the circle the primal to her success is how the outset inning goes.
On Fri, Larsen opened the game by striking out the side and continued her success into the second inning by striking out the first five batters she faced. On the sixth batter of the game, Larsen dove forward and made a diving catch to rob Cal State San Bernardino’s Alyssa Beck of a striking.
Chico Land then scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning and went on to defeat San Bernardino 4-ane in the commencement habitation game of the season for the Wildcats. In game No. 2, Chico Land won 3-1, increasing its record to 12-4 and 4-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
I’yard here at @ChicoStateSB for the Wildcats home opener against Cal State San Bernardino.
Lesser 2 | Chico’s starting pitcher Brooke Larsen struck out the showtime five batters she faced and capped the 2nd inning with this diving play. Tied 0-0. @ChicoWildcats @ChicoER pic.twitter.com/LKVtJi8KQf
— Justin Couchot (@JCouchot_Sports) Feb 25, 2022
Larsen, who has already won back-to-back CCAA Softball Pitcher of the Week awards early on in the Wildcats’ season, finished with 7 innings pitched, iv hits immune, one run, two walks and 12 strikeouts. She earned her eighth win of the flavor Fri and her ninth complete game of the flavour, increasing her record to 8-i.
Larson did not permit a hit until the top of the fifth inning on a bloop hit down the first base line. San Bernardino’s lone run came in the tiptop of the seventh inning when the Coyotes rallied to get the tying run to the plate but Larsen struck out her 12th batter to finish the game.
“It’due south just about comfortability,” Larsen said. “The fans that come up out to the game and the locals that come out, merely the overall support. It’south the vibe, we get to mind to our own walkup songs, we don’t have to travel, and being able to take our normal pregame in the locker room and listen to music and but vibe with each other before the game is of import.”
Freshman pitcher Katelyn Oldwin started the 2d game for the Wildcats pitched 6 ane/3 innings and allowed 7 hits, ane earned run, ane walk and struck out eleven.
Chico State coach Angel Shamblin said when her team’s pitching staff gives up just two runs over 14 innings it’s going to put the Wildcats in a position to win a lot of games.
Shamblin said players like Oldwin tin learn from players similar Larsen.
“She’s such a competitor that’s what only makes her so great,” Shamblin said of Larsen. “She has a ton of talent and she but competes her tail off all the time.”
In game one Chico Country got its first ii runs of the game on the board in the bottom of the second inning on three hits, and took a 4-0 pb afterward five innings. In the bottom of the 5th inning, Hailey Seva opened the inning with a single, Peleti bunted her to 2d and Alani Nguyen doubled to right field to score Seva.
Seva finished the game ii-for-2 with ii runs scored and a walk, and third baseman Grace Stover finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Nguyen and Nina Revoir collected the other two RBIs for Chico State in game 1.
In game two both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Chico State scored ii of its three runs. Freshman Tayler Berens, a Willows High School alumnae, striking a sacrifice fly to left field with bases loaded to score the outset run of the game. Chico State scored its 2d run when Nina Revoir scored on a passed brawl with Rachael Bles at the plate.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with Chico State alee 2-0, Rachael Atkins came to the plate in her offset at bat of the flavour following ACL surgery during the offseason. Atkins ripped a double downwardly the right-field line and dove headfirst into tertiary base for a triple. Atkins scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Jade Henry to requite Chico Country a three-0 lead.
“She’s been working difficult. That was actually fun to meet her come in and hitting a triple and put us in position to score a run,” Shamblin said. “That extra run was huge for usa.”
San Bernardino fought dorsum and scored i run in the meridian of the seventh inning, and eventually brought the tying run to the plate. Chico State freshman pitcher Mari Takeda Bajan came in for Oldwin and got a groundout to first base to end the game and secure the win for the Wildcats.
Home success is something the Wildcats have been familiar with dating back to 2018, and something many of the women on the team looked forward to after opening the season on a three-week road trip. With the ii wins Fri, Chico Land has now won 42 of its last 49 home games.
Mitrano said being able to come across the players’ families and not having to travel is a key to success.
“I would say our fan base of operations and the surround Chico brings,” said fifth senior get-go baseman Reilani Peleti nearly the key to playing at home on Th before the game. “It’s squeamish knowing we have a support arrangement… Knowing that we have a support organization and people have worked really hard to become us out here is an advantage in itself. Too, we just have fun hither. We’ve played 3 weekends away now so we’re super excited.”
Chico Country (12-4, iv-2 CCAA) volition play two more games against Cal State San Bernardino at 11 a.thou. and 1:30 p.k. at home Sat, earlier parting for some other two-week route trip against Cal Poly Humboldt and San Francisco Country.
The Wildcats volition return home on March 18 and 19 to face Cal Land San Marcos.
