March 1, 2009

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - The Cal softball team left the final day of the DeMarini Invitational with an 8-3 win over UC Riverside on Sunday. Sanoe Kekahuna went 3-for-3 with four RBI as the Golden Bears improved to 14-3 on the season.

The Bears have rebounded nicely after their recent two-game slide with three straight wins, finishing the tournament with a 3-1 record. Cal will next be in action at the Bayer CropScience Classic in Fresno, Mar. 6-8.

"We know we're going to get everyone's best shot," said Kekahuna. "We didn't let that home run affect us, and we responded real well in that third inning. It was good to leave the tournament with a win. We have another tough tournament in Fresno, but we will be ready."

Cal's seven RBI vs. the Highlanders was the most since producing 10 RBI against Santa Clara on Feb. 18. The Bears also tacked on three more stolen bases, giving them 62 for the season, one shy of tying the 1978 mark of 63 (10th-best in school history).

Marissa Drewrey had 10 strikeouts in five innings for the Bears (Valerie Arioto added one strikeout) giving the Cal pitching staff 11 for the game - the fifth time the unit has had 10 or more strikeouts in a game. For Drewrey, it was the third time she reached double digits in Ks.

Kekahuna had a solid tournament, scoring three runs with four hits, six RBI and a home run to raise her season batting average to .310.

Cal got things started off right in the bottom of the first inning when Kekahuna drilled a single to plate two runners - Arioto and Bernice Masaniai to give the Bears an early 2-0 lead. Arioto led off the inning with a single and Masaniai drew a walk. Both runners advanced on a passed ball before scoring as well.

UC Riverside responded however in the top of the second inning when Krystal Marquez hit a three-run home run to lift the Highlanders to a 3-2 lead.

After a scoreless bottom half of the second, Cal poured on the runs in the bottom of the third to put the game away.

With Arioto (single) and Shannon Thomas (reached on fielder's choice, stolen base) on second and third, Kekahuna delivered once again with a two-run single to left field to plate both Arioto and Thomas giving Cal a 4-3 lead. After Bernice Masaniai walked, Taylor Kelly then notched a single to score Kekahuna and Masaniai, who both benefited from a throwing error by the center fielder. Shannon Houston the popped a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Kelly.

Riverside managed just one more hit the rest of the way, as Drewrey punctuated the top of the seventh with three straight strikeouts.