By Devan Lee |Staff Writer|
The women’s softball team earned their first four game winning streak since 2011 after they swept Chico State on Fri., April 12.
“Our pitchers kept the ball on the black, our defense was flawless, and we had very timely hits,” said Head Coach Tacy Duncan.
According to Duncan, this formula is the key to a solid performance in a game and ultimately a victory.
With an overall record of 13 wins and 29 losses, Coach Duncan left the tempo of game one in the hands of freshman pitcher Kacey Cota.
Cota would set the tone early in the series as she kept her pitches on the black, or the outside corners of home plate. Her performance included five strikeouts, only six hits allowed, and only one earned run the entire game.
The Coyotes would go on to defeat the Wildcats two to one. Through four innings of game two, the Coyotes maintained a close lead of one to zero.
That all changed when sophomore outfielder Charlotte Gazlote came through with a base clearing double, extending their lead to four. Following Gazlote was sophomore outfielder Victoria Lievanos and senior infielder Monica Ferguson who each hit one RBI, scoring two more runs and bringing their lead up to six.
Although Chico State managed to narrow the deficit by scoring four runs, Cota would come back to close game two in the seventh inning, earning a save in her records and a win for the Coyotes.
“We have really come together since the start of the tournament of champions. I think we really played for each other and that’s what gave us that winning edge today,” said Gazlote, who went 3 for 4 with four RBIs in game two.
With two victories already in the books, the Coyotes continued the second half of the four game series on Sat., April 13.
Things started slow for the Lady Yotes as they found themselves trailing three to nothing in the first inning.
Then, in the sixth, the Coyotes were down by one after freshman infielder Melissa Roberts scored on an RBI double hit by senior outfielder Jamie Leffingwell.
After trailing the majority of the game, the Coyotes were finally able to tie the game in the seventh when freshmen infielder Jacqueline Lopez reached base on an error bringing home Gazlote.
A few batters later, the bases were loaded for senior infielder Alyssa Flores. Flores ripped a shot into left field scoring the go-ahead run and the victory for the Yotes.
Although taking an early three to nothing lead in game four, the Coyotes found themselves trailing in the sixth inning by two.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Lievanos cranked a base clearing double giving the Coyotes the lead with just one inning of play to go.
Although allowing two runners on base, pitcher Taylor Davis managed to get the last three outs of the game on a fly out and two ground outs.
The Lady Yotes are scheduled for another four game series against Humboldt State beginning on Fri., April 26.
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