No. 14 California Falls 7-5 at No. 9 Arizona

No. 14 California Falls 7-5 at No. 9 Arizona

April 19, 2009

Final Stats

TUCSON, ARIZ. -

The No. 14 California Golden Bears (29-15, 5-7 Pac-10) fell 7-5 to the No. 9 Arizona Wildcats (36-9, 8-2 Pac-10) Sunday afternoon in Tucson. Junior Taylor Kelly hit a fourth-inning grand slam for the Bears.

After falling behind 3-0 in the bottom of the third on a pair of home runs, the Bears took control of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Gina Leomiti started the inning with a single up the middle. Sophomore Sanoe Kekahuna walked, followed by a single through the middle of the infield from freshman Elia Reid to load the bases. Junior Shannon Thomas laced a single to center field to plate a run, leaving the bases loaded with no outs for the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Week, Taylor Kelly. After the Wildcats changed pitchers, Kelly took a 2-1 pitch over the right center wall to put the Bears ahead 5-3.

The first-place Wildcats got one run back in the bottom of the inning, but it was a two-run home run in the fifth that put them back in the lead, 6-5. The Wildcats capitalized on a Cal error in the sixth to score an unearned run, giving them a 7-5 cushion.

The Bears threatened in the top of the seventh with sophomore pitcher Valerie Arioto helping her own cause with a leadoff single to left center. Freshman Jamia Reid followed with a single to left to give the Bears runners on first and second with no outs. After a strikeout, the runners advanced to second and third on a flyout to right, but the Wildcats secured a game-ending strikeout to strand the potential tying run on second and earn the 7-5 victory.

The Bears' Kelly's home run was her lone hit of the game in three plate appearances, driving in four runs with her six round tripper of the season. Shannon Thomas had the other RBI for the Bears, going 2-for-4 at the plate. Jamia Reid also had a pair of hits in four plate appearances. Thomas and Reid each logged a stolen base, pushing the team stolen base tally for the season to 117.

Valerie Arioto pitched the complete game for the Bears, allowing six earned runs on six hits, walking three and striking out six. Her record falls to 13-5 on the season.

The Bears are back at home next weekend, hosting Oregon State on Friday afternoon, April 24, at 3 pm at Levine-Fricke Field. They close out the weekend taking on Oregon April 25-26 in Berkeley.

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