March 7, 2008

Box Score

Hayward - Thanks to a three-run fourth inning, the California softball team collected a fourth straight victory, with a 3-1 win over Tennessee Tech in the opening day of the National Invitational Softball Tournament (NIST) at the Alden E. Oliver Sports Park in Hayward on Friday evening.Cal defeated Boston College, 9-3, earlier in the afternoon.

Cal (17-8) has won nine of its last 10 games and will resume tournament play tomorrow versus San Jose State at 1 p.m. and Nevada at 4 p.m.

The top of the order was the most productive for the Golden Bears, as Valerie Arioto, Erika Racklin and Gina Leomiti scored all three runs. Sanoe Kekahuna had an RBI as well.

Brittany LaRosa and Valerie Arioto both pitched tonight as well, as Arioto earned the win - her sixth of the season, after allowing no runs on one hit with a four strikeouts in three innings. LaRosa worked three innings and allowed one run on one hit.

Tennessee State held a 1-0 lead after scoring in the top of the first inning, before the Bears rallied in the bottom of the fourth stanza. Arioto led off the inning with a single to left field and scored after a fielding miscue on a Racklin single one batter later. Racklin then scored on an error to give the Bears a 2-1 lead, before Kekahuna's fly out to right field plated Leomiti, who also reached on an error.

That was all Cal needed as Arioto allowed just one hit the rest of the way to preserve the lead and eventual win.