Feb. 8, 2009
Box Score
Palm Springs, Calif. -
No. 14 Cal put up six runs in the first inning, then gave up six runs in the fourth, but eventually held on for an 11-7 victory in the final day of the Cathedral City Kickoff on Sunday morning. Gina Leomiti and Shannon Thomas both had two runs in the win. The game was moved an hour ahead of its original 9:00 a.m. start time.
The Golden Bears, who are 4-0 for the first time since 2006, will next be in action at the Carolina Classic, Feb. 13-15 in Chapel Hill, NC.
Cal outscored its opponents 45-11, including 21-1 in the first three innings, in the three-day tournament. The Boise State game was cancelled on Saturday and Cal did not schedule a fifth game.
The game started out perfectly for the Bears with a six-run first inning. Valerie Arioto led off the inning with a single through the left side and eventually reached third base on a sacrifice bunt coupled with a fielding error. Two batters later, Leomiti reached on a fielding miscue which allowed Arioto and Thomas to score. Later in the inning, one of Cal's standout freshman, Frani Echavarria, planted a single up the middle to plate two more runs (Leomiti and Jamia Reid), which was followed nicely by a Taylor Kelly two-run blast over the left-center field wall.
Cal made it 7-0 after two innings when Thomas safely stole home plate.
The Bears added two more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 9-0 lead. Elia Reid keyed the inning with a triple to center field to plate pinch runner Nikki Schrey. Arioto added a sacrifice fly one batter later to score Reid.
Then Fordham made things interesting by putting up six runs of its own in the top of the fourth inning, including a pair of two-run singles.
Sanoe Kekahuna then got the home run bug and planted her first of the season - a two-run shot with two outs - in the bottom half of the fourth to increase Cal's lead to 11-6.
Marissa Drewrey was credited with the win, going five innings and striking a season-high seven to give her three wins and 18 strikeouts on the young season.
