Chico High softball upsets top seed, advances to NorCal final | Local roundup

The Chico High School softball team upset the No. 1 seed Monterey in the CIF NorCal Division III playoff bracket Friday. The Panthers, the No. 5 seed, defeated the Toreadors 5-2 in Monterey to advance to the regional title game.

The NorCal D-III championship game will now be a rematch of the Northern Section D-II championship game, when Las Plumas defeated Chico 13-12 in a high scoring, back-and-forth affair.

In Thursday's game Chico led first in the top of the third inning on a solo home run from McKena Harvey, but Monterey tied it with one run of its own in the bottom of the third. Chico took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth, but Monterey once again tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth.

It took extra innings to determine a winner, but Chico scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning, before holding Monterey scoreless in the bottom of the eighth.

Chico out-hit Monterey 7-5, and the Panthers' defense committed one error while the Toreadors' defense committed one. Harvey and Addi Hosier had two hits each, and Harvey, Hosier, Maddie Nadeau, Bella Hernandez and Camile Murphy had one RBI each. Murphy and Chloe Hines had one double each.

In the circle Harvey pitched all eight innings and allowed five hits, two runs (one earned), walked two and struck out 10.

The Butte County schools, Las Plumas (30-1-1) and Chico (26-7), will now face off for the CIF NorCal D-III regional title at 4 p.m. Saturday at Butte College. Las Plumas advanced with a 7-6 win in eight innings against East Nicolaus.

Le Grand 5, Durham 1: The No. 2 seed in the CIF NorCal D-V bracket Le Grand defeated No. 3 Durham in Le Grand.

The game was scoreless before the Bulldogs scored two runs in the fourth inning and three runs in the fifth. The Trojans scored one run in the seventh inning, but their four hits were not enough.

Durham's Clare Osbon had two hits, and Annalee Horn and Trinity Kolu had one hit each. Osbon had the Trojans' lone RBI.

Horn and Sadie Sjolund combined to pitch six innings, allowing five runs (three earned), four walks while striking out 10.

The Trojans end their season 20-11. Le Grand advances to face No. 4 Moreau Catholic in the CIF NorCal D-V regional final.

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