March 5, 2010
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - The No. 15/13 California softball team concluded its Friday with a 10-2 victory in five innings over Weber State on Friday afternoon. Coupled with the Golden Bears' 6-0 win against New Mexico State earlier on Friday, Cal is now 2-0 at this weekend's Eller Media Stadium Classic and 13-4 overall. The Bears scored four runs in both the fourth and fifth en route to the mercy outing.
For the Bears, Shannon Thomas led the way with three runs, two hits and two RBI. Senior Marissa Drewrey and freshman Jolene Henderson split time at pitcher with Henderson notching her fourth win thanks to her four strike outs.
The Bears got right to work when Shannon Thomas got hit by a pitch and then stole second. The steal, Cal's Pac-10 leading 52nd of the season, proved key for the next batter - Valerie Arioto - hit a single to right center to score Thomas for Cal's first of 10 runs.
The Wildcats evened things in their half of the second when Aubriana Chiquete cranked out a home run to center field. But her solo shot would be the only hit of the inning, and the teams went into the third knotted at 1-1.
In the top of the third, it was the lethal combination of Thomas and Arioto again. Thomas led off with a triple to left center and then Arioto had a clean double to left center, scoring Thomas to bring Cal in front, 2-1.
The Bears powered up the bats in the top of the fourth to produce a grand total of four. Vernae Sevilla, who reached on a single through the left side, was the first to score when Shannon Thomas hit a triple to plate Sevilla and Jamia Reid. With Arioto at second after a walk and a sacrifice bunt by Lindsey Ziegenhirt and Thomas at third, Jace Williams doubled to left field to score Arioto and Thomas.
Things did not fare so well for the Wildcats in Weber State's end of the same inning. Freshman pitcher Jolene Henderson, who had replaced starter Marissa Drewrey in the beginning of the third, struck out two batters and got one to ground out.
The top of the fifth went just as smoothly as the fourth for the Bears - with Cal scoring four times. It all started when Jordan Wallace got hit by a pitch in Cal's first at bat, and then Wallace capitalized on a wild pitch to move to second. Sevilla brought Wallace home with a single to left.
Later in the inning, it was Jamia Reid's turn to contribute some RBI with a double down the left-field line to score Shannon Houston and Jayme Goodwin, who had reached on a single and pinch ran for Sevilla, respectively. The Bears were not done wreaking havoc for Amy Bishop grounded out to second to score Jamia Reid to put the Bears ahead for good, 10-1.
Weber State was able to have a final say in the game by scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth, but it was not enough to avoid the mercy loss. Linnea Ketcher had a lead-off single to third base and came around to score when Abby Bowcut had a RBI ground out. Henderson got the final out - a swinging strike out on Britnie Hardine - to end the game.
Cal has an equally full state on Saturday with Portland State at 9 a.m. and Southern Utah at 1:30 p.m. in the second day of the tournament.
