April 9, 2010
Final Stats
EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 15/13 California softball team fell short against No. 21 Oregon, 7-6, in nine innings on Friday evening at Howe Field. With the loss, the Golden Bears fall to 29-9 overall and 1-3 in Pac-10 Conference play while the Ducks improve to 27-6 and 3-1 in the Pac-10.
Oregon's freshman Sam Pappas hit a game-tying three-run homer in the seventh, and junior Monique Fuiava added a two-run double in the ninth inning to help the Ducks over the Bears.
Fuiava (4-for-5, 2 RBI) collected a career-high four hits in her final four at-bats, while Pappas (2-for-3, 3 RBI) moved into a tie for 10th all-time for UO for homers in a season with her shot off a 0-1 count to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh off Cal starter Valerie Arioto.
Cal reliever Jolene Henderson (12-4) took the loss after she came in with one out in the seventh after Pappas' homer, pitched the final two innings and struck out three, walked none and both of her runs allowed were earned.
The Bears struck first in the top of the second with Jace Williams and Frani Echavarria hitting back-to-back singles. After a Taylor Kelly ground out moved both over, Williams scored on a passed ball to bring the score to 1-0 in favor of the Bears.
Oregon responded in kind with a run of its own in the bottom of the second to even the game at 1-1.
In the top of the third, Shannon Thomas watched one ball go by for a strike and then four straight balls for a one-out walk. After stealing second and advancing to third on a pass ball, she came home to score when Williams reached on an error at short to pull the Bears back ahead, 2-1.
It was not until bottom of the fourth until another runner crossed the dish when a single by Allie Burger to left plated Neena Bryant, who singled to center.
Arioto and freshman catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt proved a lethal one-two punch with Arioto earning a lead-off walk in the top of the fifth. Ziegenhirt sent the first pitch she saw flying past the center-field wall for a two-run homer. Two at bats later, senior Vernae Sevilla continued the homer parade with one of her own, bringing Cal's lead to 5-2.
It was another scoring draught until the bottom of the seventh when the Oregon heroics occurred. A walk and a single put two runners on for the Ducks with one away when Pappas homered to center to knot the game at five all and force extra innings.
Cal registered the only hit of the eighth with a Jamia Reid single.
With the game still tied at 5-5 in the top of the ninth, Arioto and Williams earned walks to put them aboard and Frani Echavarria was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one away. Sevilla struck again with a single to center, plating Arioto. The Ducks then changed pitching, bringing in Sam Skillingstad for Jessica Moore, and the next two Bears - Taylor Kelly and Elia Reid - were retired with a swinging strikeout and a fly out, respectively, to end the inning.
With her team in the hole, 6-5, in the bottom of the ninth, Burger led off with a single to third and advanced to second thanks to a Shelley Deadmond sacrifice bunt. Pappas singled to center, moving Burger to third, to draw up Fuiava. Fuiava had a 1-1 count when she doubled to right center, plating Burger and Deadmond for the game-winning runs.
The series against Oregon continues on Saturday with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m. at Howe Field.
