Feb. 28, 2010

Final Stats

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - The No. 14/13 California softball team scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning en route to a 9-1 mercy victory over Colorado State on Sunday morning in the final day of the Palm Springs Classic. The Golden Bears, who now stand at 10-4 overall, slowly chipped away at the Rams, scoring their nine runs in four different innings.

Sophomore Jamia Reid had a lead-off single to start the game and promptly demonstrated her base-running prowess by stealing second. Shannon Thomas laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Reid to third. However, Reid did not hang there for long with the next Bear batter - junior Valerie Arioto - singling to center field to plate Reid, marking Cal's first of nine runs over the course of five innings.

Both sides of the plate went down in order for the next 1.5 innings until Elia Reid walked and her twin sister Jamia Reid knocked out another single in the top of the third. Elia Reid advanced to second on the hit and moved to third on a throwing error while Jamia Reid stole second. With the Reids on second and thing, Shannon Thomas singled up the middle to score both Jamia and Elia to distance the Bears, 3-0.

In the Rams' end of the third inning, they scored their only run of the game. Ashley MacQueen earned a two-out walk to start things off and was promptly advanced to second thanks to a Caitlan Stem single through the left side. Jenna Krogh then singled to third to plate MacQueen before Christine Thomsen grounded out to end the inning and any hope of coming any closer to the Bears.

In the top of the fourth, Frani Echavarria reached on a fielder's choice and then Taylor Kelly got on base thanks to an error at short. Echavarria and Kelly advanced to third and second, respectively when Jolene Henderson grounded out to bring up Elia Reid, who walked to load the bases. Jamia Reid then singled to left field, which allowed Echavarria and Kelly to score, bringing the Bears well ahead of the Rams at 5-1.

The top of the fifth sealed the deal and allowed the Bears to come away with the mercy win. Arioto and freshman Lindsey Ziegenhirt had back-to-back doubles, the second of which plated Arioto for the Bears' first of four runs in the fifth. Jace Williams singled to second to move Ziegenhirt, who was then replaced by Jayme Goodwin, to third. Echavarria hit a single to left field to score Goodwin. Cal's final hit of the inning came next from Taylor Kelly, who singled to right center, scoring Williams. The Bears' scoring barrage was not over yet with Jolene Henderson reaching on an error at second to score Echavarria and bringing the Bears' final total to 9-1.

Though the Rams tallied a hit in the bottom of the fifth, they stranded two runners and could not bring any home to avoid the loss and the Bears took the game, 9-1.

For the Bears, senior Marissa Drewrey and Henderson split time in the circle. Both Jamia Reid and Shannon Thomas had two RBI with Jamie Reid pacing Cal with three hits.

The Bears will close their weekend play with a match against Long Beach State on Sunday afternoon.