April 16, 2010
Final Stats
TEMPE, Ariz. - Thanks to a home run by Elia Reid in the top of the fifth, the No. 19/16 California softball team upended No. 6 Arizona State, 3-1, on Friday evening. Freshman catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt also homered and Reid scored again to push the Golden Bears (31-11, 2-5 in the Pac-10 Conference) past the Sun Devils (35-7, 4-3 in the Pac-10) in the first of three conference games between the two powerhouses this weekend.
After ASU sent the Bears down in order in the top of the first, Sun Devil center fielder Lesley Rogers reached on a throwing error by Taylor Kelly and then advanced to second. Freshman hurler Jolene Henderson gave up a walk before striking out Krista Donnenwirth and getting Annie Lockwood to ground out to get two outs.
The next Sun Devil batter - catcher Kaylyn Castillo - singled to third, which allowed Rogers to come home to score the first run of the game. Henderson got second baseman Sam Parlich to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Bears in the hole, 1-0.
That lead stood for just one at bat - Parlich's.
In the top of the second, Ziegenhirt saw one ball and took one strike before sending the next pitch soaring over the left-field wall for a solo shot. That homer, her 10th of her freshman campaign, brought the Bears back into the game, 1-1.
The two squads had been knotted at 1-1 for two scoreless innings when Reid stepped up to bat. Senior third baseman Vernae Sevilla had tried her hand at a homer with a powerful fly out to right field. After Reid watched one pitch - the second of the inning - go by for a ball, she creamed the next for a solo shot to put the Bears up, 2-1.
The Bears added another nail in the coffin in the top of the seventh. After senior shortstop Taylor Kelly was hit by a pitch and moved to second, thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Sevilla, the Sun Devils got Kelly out at third while Elia Reid reached on a fielder's choice. With two away, Jamia Reid got aboard when the ASU first baseman bobbled the ball, which also allowed Elia Reid to advance to second.
Shannon Thomas, who can normally be counted on for sacrifice bunts, took a powerful hack and singled to left field, allowing Elia Reid's fast feet to propel her home for an unearned run that gave the Bears their final 3-1 lead.
Henderson pitched the complete-game win, giving up seven hits and no earned runs. She walked four but struck out six. The Bears connected for five hits off of ASU pitcher Hillary Bach, who only tallied three Ks.
The series continues on Saturday with another 7 p.m. tilt at Farrington Stadium.
