May 24, 2001

Box Score | World Series Tracker

OKLAHOMA CITY - Tony Mascarenas' three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning provided all the offense Arizona would need as the top-seeded Wildcats edged No. 8 seed Cal, 3-2, in their Women's College World Series Opener Thursday. With the loss, the Bears play Michigan, who lost to Oklahoma, 2-0, in an elimination game at 9 a.m. PT Saturday. The game will be televised live on ESPN. Cal falls to 53-17, while U of A improves to 62-4.

The Bears were held hitless until the third inning, when with two outs, sophomore Kristen Morley reached first on an infield single to the shortstop. Morley was stranded at first after senior Paige Bowie struck out swinging.

Cal did not have another base runner until sophomore Mikella Pedretti led off the sixth with a base hit to left field. After Morley struck out, Pedretti advanced to second on a Bowie grounded out to third, but remained at second when senior Pauline Due?as ended the inning with a groundout to third.

Junior Jocelyn Forest held the Cats off balance for most of the game and hitless until the sixth. Erika Hanson opened the inning with bloop single to left. Forest got the next batter to pop out, but Nicole Giordano followed with a base hit to left, moving Hanson to second. Mascarenas followed and quickly broke the Forest shutout with a three-run homerun to left giving Arizona all the runs they would need.

Cal attempted to mount a comeback in the seventh. Junior Candace Harper led off the inning with single to center. Sophomore Veronica Nelson, who earned first-team All-American status at last night's World Series annual banquet, followed by sending her 19th roundtripper on the year well over the left-field fence to cut the U of A lead to 3-2, which is how the game would end.

Forest, who earned second-team All-American honors last night, allowed three runs on just three hits with seven Ks and a walk, and falls to 27-9 in 2001.

Jennie Finch recorded the win, improving to 30-0, by allowing two runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts and a walk.

"I was proud of the team today for the way that we played tough," said head coach Diane Ninemire. "We were in the game the whole time, but Arizona is a good team and if you make a mistake, they can take advantage of it, which is what Toni (Mascaranas) did today."

Women's College World Series
Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City, Okla.
	        1  2  3   4  5  6   7   R  H  E
California	0  0  0   0  0  0   2   2  4  0
Arizona	        0  0  0   0  0  3   0   3  3  0
Pitching: Cal: Forest and Scott, Arizona: Finch and Collins
HR: Mascaranas (Arizona), Nelson (Cal)
WP: Finch (30-0)	LP: Forest (27-9)	Save: None