McKINLEYVILLE, Calif. -- Despite having to play on an alternate field, No. 4 Humboldt State received a Tonya Walker walk-off liner and Katie Obbema shut the door on Chico State in the second game for the Saturday sweep.
Deadlocked at one in the home seventh, Walker lined a single to center to plate pinch runner Carly Perkins to the opener, 2-1. After four Chico State fifth frame runs, Obbema allowed only one hit over the final 2.1 innings to help HSU garner a 6-4 second contest win.
The pair of wins takes HSU to 17-4 on the season and first two games it has played over those contests in the North Coast. The Jacks also improved to 7-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
It was Alison McKibbon to pace the home hit parade. After lacing the leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh, the junior added a two-run round-tripper and a single in the late game. She drove in three and touched home one time.
Game 1
Chico State (6-9/4-6 CCAA) jumped on the board in its first at bat. Sammi Ridgway belted a double to center, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Alli Cook's single to left for a 1-0 score.
In the home second, Julie Pena drew a leadoff walk, was sacrificed to second and later scored on Andrea Chavez's double to left field to tie the game at 1-1.
The two pitchers settled down and recorded four-and-a half combined scoreless innings until the bottom of the seventh.
McKibbon drove the ball to right center to leadoff to set up the Perkins run off Walker's walkoff hit.
After the top of the first where she allowed a run and two hits, Obbema gave up only four hits and fanned four the rest of the final six innings to improve to 9-2.
"Katie struggled in the first inning with an issue with the field and made the corrections needed and pitched well the rest of the day," noted Sarchett.
Along with the Chavez and McKibbon doubles and Walker walkoff, Darian Harris singled for the other home hit.
Game 2
Unlike the first contest, HSU put runs on the scoreboard early in the game.
"The second game we came out swinging the bats. McKibbon had the big hit and (Liz) Perez threw well again," the HSU coach said.
Walker was issued a leadoff walk, sacrificed to second and scored the first run on a Hannah Williams single up the middle.
In the home second, Sarah Fox singled up the middle to start the at bat. McKibbon stepped in an drove a looping home run, her fifth of the year, over the left field fence to make it 3-0.
Pena doubled home Hannah Williams, before McKibbon added her third RBI of the game on a single to left to score Tiffany Hollingsworth, who singled, to open a 5-0 advantage after four innings.
The Wildcats would line four hits, all ground balls, off Jacks' reliever Madison Williams to plate four runs, three earned, with two outs and two on in the top of the fifth. Obbema came on to pop out the final visiting out to end the scoring at 5-4.
With one out, Pena lined her second two-bagger of the game and would score on a Chico State throwing error to make it 6-4 with five complete.
Obbema gave up only one hit in the final two innings to shut the door on any visiting comeback attempt in the 6-4 final.
Obbema earned her fourth save of the season, but it was her fellow sophomore pitcher Perez to have another strong start. Perez threw three-hit ball over the first four innings.
"Maddie (Williams) threw well, but our defense needs to step up when they have a drop ball pitcher on the mound with the ground balls," pointed out Sarchett. "It is nice to know we have three strong pitchers and were able to bring Katie back in to shut them down."
At the plate, Dani Randall added two singles to make it three multi-hit HSU players with Pena and McKibbon. Chavez added a single for her second hit of the day.
