Feb. 12, 2010

Final Stats

TEMPE, Ariz. - The No. 11/12 California softball team ended the first day of play in 2010 with a 3-1 win against Wisconsin on Friday afternoon at 3-1 at the Kajikawa Classic. The Golden Bears (1-1) defeated the Badgers in Cal's second game of the 2010 campaign. Freshman Lindsey Ziegenhirt got Cal on the board with her second homer of the day and Shannon Thomas and Jolene Henderson had key RBI to further distance the Bears in their win.

Neither team could bring anyone around through the first two innings of play, but then things looked to take off for the Bears. Shannon Houston led off for Cal in the top of third, but Olivarez's change-up was too much and Houston went down for Olivarez's second K of the game. Frani Echavarria's fast feet helped her reach first beating the throw on her hit to second.

The catcher Strange bobbled a pitch and Echavarria capitalized on the pass ball to advance to second. She would have made it nonetheless as Valerie Arioto drew a walk to put Cal runners at first and second with one away. Jamia Reid hit into a fielder's choice, with Wisconsin opting to get the lead runner in Echavarria out at third. Next at bat was Jolene Henderson, who reached on an error at short, advancing Reid to second and Arioto to third. Jace Williiams, unfortuanely, then lined out to second base to end the inning with three runners stranded.

After Henderson and the Cal infield sent the Wisconsin line-up down 1-2-3 in the Badgers' half of the third. In the top of the fourth, Lindsey Ziegenhirt hit her second solo shot of her brief Golden-Bear career and of the day to give Cal a 1-0 lead and its only run of the inning.

The Bears didn't score again until the sixth, thanks to Shannon Houston during an impressive two-out rally by Cal. Shannon Thomas reached thanks to an error in center field and advanced to second followed by a walk by Verane Sevilla to put runners at first and second with still two outs on the board. Houston then singled to center to drive in Thomas and move Sevilla to third. The inning concluded with an Echavarria pop out, but in span of the sixth, the Bears distanced themselves, 2-0.

The latter half of the sixth proved fruitful for the Badgers as well with the pitcher Olivarez singling in Massey, who had walked. After the RBI single, Henderson got Grimm to fly out to center to end the inning and cap the Wisconsin offensive at one.

The Bears tacked on one more insurance run in their half of the seventh courtesy of Henderson, who had a sacrifice single that sent Arioto home after she had reached on a walk.

To cap the first collegiate victory for Henderson, she struck out the final three Badger batters in the bottom of the seventh to seal the deal for Cal

Reid, Henderson and Echavarria all had two hits each while Henderson, Ziegenhirt and Shannon Houston each earning a RBI. Henderson pitched the entire seven innings allowing just the one earned run and striking out 11 Badgers.

Next up, the Bears face off against Western Michigan at 10:30 a.m. PST on Saturday followed by Kentucky at 3:30 p.m. PST.