Feb. 8, 2008

Box Score (G1) Box Score (G2)

Palm Springs, CA - The California Golden Bear softball team opened the 2008 campaign with a convincing 12-3 victory (in five innings) over UC Riverside, before falling to San Diego State, 7-0 in the nightcap, in the first day of the Cathedral City Classic hosted by Oregon State in Palm Springs on Friday. Cal had to wait an extra hour before it could start its contest with San Diego State. Originally scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. start, the game was delayed because of SDSU's nine inning marathon win over Cal Poly in the game before.

Cal (1-1) faces Winthrop tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. and New Mexico State at 5:30 p.m.

The Aztecs jumped on the board with two runs in the first inning off of Cal starter Valerie Arioto. SDSU added another pair of runs in the bottom of the second to boost its lead to 4-0, before scoring three more in the third for the 7-0 advantage. Arioto (0-1) allowed four runs in 1.1 innings of work. She did record three strikeouts as well. Freshman Brooke Petty scattered three hits over seven innings to earn the win for the Aztecs.

In their afternoon contest against UC Riverside, the Bears earned a twelfth-straight season-opening victory dating back to the 1997 season. It was also career victory No. 890 for head coach Diane Ninemire. The 12 runs were the most for an opening day game since 2006 when the Bears tagged Oklahoma State for 14 runs.

"It was a good start for us," said senior Julie Meyer (on the Riverside game). "We really came together as a team. It was real important to put those five runs on the board in the first inning."

Senior Erika Racklin had a productive day at the plate, connecting for two hits on four plate appearances and three runs. Sophomore Vernae Sevilla also posted a solid game, going 3-for-3 with four RBI. Arioto made her Cal debut with a hit and a run scored.

Drewrey got the starting nod in the circle and allowed two hits with three strikeouts in three innings of work to earn the victory. Sophomore Brittany LaRosa allowed three runs in two innings. Cal jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to a big single up the middle from freshman Sanoe Kekahuna which plated both Sevilla and Bernice Masaniai. Meyer's single, one batter later, scored Kekahuna.

The Bears added two more runs in the second inning, a run in the fourth and four more in the bottom of the fifth. Savannah Hensley keyed the fifth inning with a two-run double.