June 4, 2005

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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - A single by Arizona right fielder Allyson Von Liechtenstein in the bottom of the 12th inning scored pinch runner Adrienne Acton to give the Wildcats a 3-2 victory over California and eliminate the Bears from the 2005 Women's College World Series Saturday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

Cal starter Kelly Anderson (28-10) allowed back-to-back walks to second baseman Callista Balko and first baseman Crystal Farley to lead off the 12th. Von Liechtenstein then dropped a base hit into short left field. The ball fell in front of charging Cal left fielder Lindsay James, who kicked it toward center field. Kaleo Eldredge picked up the loose ball, but her throw home was well over catcher Haley Woods, allowing Acton - running for Balko - to end the game with ease.

Acton's score ended a marathon three-hour, 43-minute game. Anderson began the game for Cal but after allowing solo homers to Arizona catcher Jackie Coburn and Balko in the second, was pulled for junior Kristina Thorson, who tossed the next eight and one-third innings. Thorson scattered just two hits in her tenure but left the game in the 11th due to heat fatigue.

For the first time since 2001, Cal will not make an appearance in the WCWS championship game. Saturday's loss marks just the second time the Bears have been eliminated after two games. In 2000, Cal was eliminated after losing to Oklahoma (2-1) and Arizona (6-0).

"Even though our season did not end the way we had planned, I am really proud of the effort of our players," Cal head coach Diane Ninemire said. "Today, you had two teams that just didn't want their seasons to end. I think they went out there and played like champions. I can't say enough about the effort of Kristina Thorson only giving up two hits."

Arizona starter Alicia Hollowell (31-8) scattered three hits over the first four innings, but the Bears broke through against the righthander in the fifth. Shortstop Chelsea Spencer singled to lead off the inning, was sacrificed to second by designated player Emily Friedman and brought home on a base hit by first baseman Julie Meyer. The score was the first earned run the Wildcat pitching staff had allowed in 45.1 postseason innings.

Cal (52-15) tallied its second run later in the inning as Hollowell committed two of her five season errors on one sequence. With two out and freshman Erika Racklin pinch running at second, third baseman Vicky Galindo grounded back to Hollowell, who lost the ball when she went to throw to first. With Racklin racing around third, Hollowell threw the ball wide to Coburn at home. Racklin scored without a tag to tie the game 2-2.

In retrospect, Cal had the chance of potentially winning the game in seven innings. In the Bear third, Galindo belted what would have been a solo home run had Wildcat center fielder Caitlin Lowe not caught the ball on the run, crashing into the wall to preserve Arizona's 2-0 lead.

The Bears never seriously threatened in extra innings, collecting just two singles past the seventh.

Arizona, which had just five hits in the game, didn't put pressure on the Bears until the 11th. Kristie Fox - whose walk-off grand slam April 2 defeated the Bears, 4-2 - led off the inning with a double. Anderson reentered the game for Thorson and walked Coburn before striking out third baseman Shelly Schultz. Jennifer Martinez then grounded to Galindo at third base, who stepped on third to force out Fox before throwing on to first for the inning-ending double play.

The loss was Cal's first extra-inning game of 2005 and the first postseason extra-inning game since Cal defeated Arizona, 2-1, in 12 innings to stay alive in the 2003 WCWS.

Saturday's game marked the career end for eight Golden Bears seniors. Anderson, Spencer, Eldredge, second baseman Jessica Pamanian and reserves Jessica Vernaglia and Kristen Bayless all played on Cal's 2002 WCWS championship team. Two other players - Galindo and reserve Gwen Arafiles - competed for the Bears' 2003 and 2004 WCWS runner-up squads.

NOTES: James finished the year on a seven-game hit streak and batted safely in eight of the Bears' 10 postseason games ... Cal is 3-3 all-time in extra-inning WCWS games and 12-5 in extra-inning NCAA Tournament games ... Cal had won eight of its last nine extra-inning postseason games entering Saturday... Saturday marked Cal's second-longest extra-inning postseason game, tying with their 2003 WCWS 12-inning victory against Arizona (2-1) and second behind a 1994 20-inning Regional loss to Oregon (2-1) ... Arizona has eliminated the Bears three times at the WCWS - more than any other team ... Cal is 3-4 following a first-round loss at the WCWS ... the Bears are 18-18 in 10 appearances at the WCWS and 67-46 in NCAA Tournament play ... Cal's only two losses this season when the opponent commits two-plus errors occurred in the WCWS (34-2) ... Anderson fell to 3-4 when allowing a homer ... Saturday's loss was just the second of 10 postseason games where Cal hadn't scored first ... Cal finished the year 21-12 against teams ranked in the top-25.

Softball Result
Women's College World Series
Loser's Bracket Semifinal No. 1
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium; Oklahoma City, Okla.
June 4, 2005

California 000 020 000 000 - 2 8 1 Arizona 020 000 000 001 - 3 5 2

Anderson, Thorson (2) and Anderson (11); Hollowell and Coburn W - Hollowell (31-8); L - Anderson (28-10) 2B - Fox (13); HR - Coburn (10); Balko (5) Records: Cal 523-154; UA 45-11 Time: 3:43 Note: Cal is eliminated from 2005 WCWS