March 14, 2008

Box Score

Sacramento - Sophomore pitcher Marissa Drewrey returned from an injury which kept her sidelined for a little over week to help California defeat Northern Colorado, 4-1 in eight innings in the opening day of the Capital Classic on Friday evening.

Drewrey earned win No. 10 on the season and helped Cal to win No. 22 after allowing one run on four hits with nine strikeouts in eight innings of work.

Cal, who last faced Northern Colorado in 1981, takes on two opponents ranked in the top 25 tomorrow, beginning with No. 19 Ohio State at 10:00 a.m. and No. 11 Oklahoma at 12:30 p.m. Cal defeated Hawaii earlier this year when the Warriors were ranked No. 15.

Both Cal and Northern Colorado scored one run each in the third stanza and remained deadlocked at 1-1 until the top of the eighth inning. Due to international tie breaker rules, Cal began the frame with a runner placed on second base (pinch runner Savannah Hensley). Hensley reached third base after a Shannon Houston reached safely on a fielder's choice. Valerie Arioto then popped a sacrifice fly to right field allowing for Hensley to score. Houston, who already stole a base in the inning, moved to third on the sacrifice and scored after Erika Racklin reached on a fielder's choice. Two batters later, Bernice Masaniai punched a single through the left side to plate Racklin.

Drewrey was clutch in the bottom half of the eighth, inducing a pop up, a ground out and a foul out to end the game.

The Bears have won nine of their last 10 games and 14 of their last 16 since Feb. 23.