May 3, 2009
Final Stats
BERKELEY -
The No. 13 California Golden Bears (34-16, 9-8 Pac-10) dropped their final home game of the 2009 season to the visiting No. 6 Arizona State Sun Devils (38-15, 8-10 Pac-10), 7-3, Sunday afternoon. Senior Gina Leomiti doubled to center field in the final home game of her career.
After a leadoff single in the top of the first translated to a 1-0 Sun Devil lead, the Bears answered in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore pitcher Valerie Arioto started things off for the Bears with a single to center. After Jamia Reid reached on a fielder's choice, she stole her first of two bases in the game, putting her at second with one out. Senior Gina Leomiti drew walk. With two outs, Reid stole third, giving Cal runners at the corners. A single by freshman right fielder Elia Reid to her ASU counterpart scored Jamia Reid from third. The Sun Devil right fielder bobbled the ball, allowing Leomiti to score as well, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead.
The score remained frozen at 2-1 until the top of the sixth inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, the Sun Devils got a key single to center to take a 3-2 lead. After going 1-0 on the next batter, Cal's pitcher, Valerie Arioto, was lifted for Marissa Drewrey. Drewrey walked the inherited batter, giving the Sun Devila a pair of base runners with two outs. She lost the next batter as well, loading the bases for Arizona State's leading power hitter who hit a grand slam to right center to give ASU a 7-2 lead.
The Bears scored a run in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Vernae Sevilla smashed a two-out double to right center to plate a run to make it a 7-3 game.
The loss was just the second of the season for Cal at Levine-Fricke Field. They finish the 2009 season with a 10-2 mark on their home turf. The Bears also remain in fifth place in the Pac-10 standings, ahead of sixth-place ASU by a game and a half.
For the third day in a row, the weather became part of the game story, pushing the start time of the contest back two hours. The Bears had a similar delay before Saturday's game. Friday's game against Arizona was completely rained out with no makeup date for the game expected.
The Bears finish off the regular season on the road, playing at UCLA on Thursday afternoon with a 1 p.m. first pitch. They will then travel north to Seattle for Friday and Saturday afternoon games against Washington.