April 26, 2003

Box Score

Seatlle, Wash. - The ninth-ranked California softball team (39-13, 8-6 Pac-10) picked up an important Pac-10 victory this afternoon in Seattle, upsetting the fourth-ranked Washington Huskies (39-9-1, 6-7 Pac-10) , 1-0, in front of 1,091 fans at the Husky Softball Stadium.

The game unfolded as a pitchers duel between UW's Tia Bollinger and Cal's Kristina Thorson. The two battled to a scoreless tie through five innings as Bollinger held the Bears hitless after a two-hit first inning and Thorson allowed no hits.

California finally broke open the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning behind a two hit effort. The Bears loaded the bases with back-to-back singles from Lindsay James and Kaleo Eldredge and a walk to Courtney Scott, bringing up Cal's top slugger Veronica Nelson. Bollinger worked her way out of the threat with a four pitch strikeout, but could not fight off pinch hitter Jessica Vernaglia, whose ground out to third drove in the eventual game-winner.

Thorson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning when Jaime Clark reached base on a one-out single to short. The next two batters fouled out to left field to end the game.

Bollinger (21-6) earns the tough loss as she scattered four hits and fanned six. Thorson (12-5) picks up the win as she held the Huskies to one hit and struck out six.

Washington and California will finish their three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m.