CHICO --- Freshman Noemi Torres had a tremendous day on the mound for the Otters on Saturday, pitching a complete game shutout to start the day and then throwing another 5 2/3 innings without giving up a run in a 3-1 loss.
Neither team got much going offensively in the first game, which the Otters won 1-0. Both teams had just three hits apiece. For the Otters one of those hits came at the perfect time when, in the second inning, Marisa Trujillo had a lead-off walk and pinch runner Katie Murray was sacrificed to second. Rachelle Morales blasted a double to left center to score Murray for the only run of the game.
The Wildcats left six runners on base, including four in scoring position, but couldn't get the big hit to push a run across. Cox, Jarrett, and Jackson had hits for Chico State.
Torres (W, 5-1) struck out seven and walked two. Krystal Shaw (L, 4-6) took the loss, giving up the one run on three hits over seven innings.
Chico (9-11, 4-6 CCAA) would bounce back quickly, scoring three runs off CSUMB starter Angela Cabral (L, 5-4) in the first inning of game two. Chico's Gwen Cox led off with a single and came around to score on Megan Bera's triple. After back-to-back walks, Nickie Jarrett brought in Bera on a fielder's choice. Cooper Jackson then drove in another run with a shot up the middle for the 3-0 lead.
Torres then replaced Cabral and shut down Chico the rest of the way, but the Otters could only muster one run. It came in the seventh. With two outs, Ashlee Trotter reached on a hard hit ball to short and an error with Kristen Rasmussen at the plate put runners at second and third. It looked like a run would score for sure on Jill Artoff's single to center, but Rebecca Johnson hit Chelsea Lundberg with the cut off and they nailed pinch-runner Channing Peebles at the plate. The unearned run came when Rachelle Morales,, the next batter, delivered a hard hit out to short, but was able to bring across Rasmussen.
Chico's Lauren Walker pitched the complete game, giving up one unearned run on four hits in the 3-1 victory. Walker (W, 5-2) retired the Otters in order in the first inning and after giving up a hit to lead off the second, retired 12 straight through the fifth inning.
[VIEW GAME 1 RESULTS]
