May 14, 2010

Final Stats

BERKELEY - Thanks to a five runs scored in the third inning, none of which were earned for OSU pitcher Paige Hall, the No. 13/12 California softball team defeated Oregon State, 6-0 on Friday afternoon at Levine-Fricke Field. Junior pitcher Valerie Arioto allowed just two Beaver hits and freshman first baseman Jolene Henderson drove in two RBI for the Golden Bears to improve to 40-17 overall and 9-11 in the Pac-10 Conference while the Beavers drop to 24-30 and 4-16 in conference play.

Left fielder McKenna Lowe tallied the first hit of the game, when she dropped a bloop into shallow left field. The payoff pitch to pitcher Paige Hall went her way for a one-out walk, advancing Lowe to second. Hurler Valerie Arioto struck out designated player Audrey Roderfled to get out of the inning unscathed.

Jamia Reid connected for a bouncer to short, where Nikki Chandler fielded the one-bouncer, but Reid's fast feet put her at first before Chandler could even make a throw. It was those fast feet that propelled Reid to second, her 45th steal of the season, in the middle of Shannon Thomas' at bat, which ended in a swinging strikeout.

Arioto grounded out to Chandler at short, but the 6-3 out advanced Reid to third. Freshman catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt looked to single into center, but it turned into a line drive that Dani Chisholm nabbed to close the inning.

The only hit of the top of the second came from catcher Tarah Black, who connected with a shot to short. Frani Echavarria caught a fly from her OSU counterpart in Dani Chisholm to leave one Beaver stranded.

After swinging and missing at the first pitch, sophomore third baseman Jace Williams dropped a hit into left field. Williams came off the bases on the next play for Echavarria grounded to Cavestany at third, and she turned it to Maggie Doremus at second to get the lead runner out in Williams. Echavarria advanced to second when Taylor Kelly grounded into a 6-3. Echavarria would be left on base when freshman first baseman Jolene Henderson grounded out to second.

Arioto fanned Cavestany, who had just fouled off three, with a gem for a looking strikeout. Lowe grounded to Thomas at second, who ate it up but bobbled the toss to Henderson at first and Lowe reached and advanced to second. Hall grounded out to Kelly at short, advancing Lowe to third. Arioto got Roderfeld swinging to move into the bottom of the third with still no score.

Elia Reid got a lead-off hit through the left side to start the bottom of the third. Jamia Reid got a single of her own with a powerful slap to short to put two Bears on with no outs. Thomas laid down an absolute gem of a bunt in front of the plate. Black grabbed it but dropped it behind her and the bases were juiced with Bears. Arioto had a high fly into shallow left-center field and Chisholm executed her powers as center fielder to call the ball and make the play, giving the Beavers one out. Chisholm was there again to catch a first-pitch fly from Ziegenhirt, who earned an RBI with Elia Reid coming home to score.

Williams singled right up the middle, plating Jamia Reid. Houston came around to score when Echavarria beat the play at first, moving Williams to second. Echavarria's hit went around a diving Kutz at first. Doremus was there to make the grab, but Echavarria beat her to first. Kelly walked to load the bases with two away and bring up Henderson, who singled with a powerful shot to centerfield. Both Williams and Echavarria scored, bringing Cal's lead to 5-0 and advancing Kelly to second. Elia Reid, who was the 10th batter of the inning, went down on a called third strike. In all, Cal scored five runs off five hits and one error, leaving two stranded with all runs unearned for Hall.

In the top of the fourth, OSU went down in order with two Arioto strikeouts and a 4-3 ground out, keeping the score 5-0 in Cal's favor.

With the Bears starting with the top of the line-up in the bottom of the fourth, Jamia Reid had her slap go up and into Maggie Doremus' glove for the first out. Thomas had a nice, clean single into center field. Arioto flied out with a high pop up to Ashley Sanchez in right. Ziegenhirt hit a grounder to Chandler at short, and she tossed it to Doremus at second to get the final out in Thomas.

To start the fifth, Cal made several defensive changes. Senior Vernae Sevilla replaced Jace Williams in the fifth spot at third, Jordan Wallace came in for Kelly at short and Shannon Houston went to right field for Elia Reid.

Arioto got Black looking on what Black thought was ball four to start the fifth. Thomas played the hop like the senior veteran she is on a grounder from Chisholm to get the second out. A drifting liner from Cavestany was nabbed by Jamia Reid, who ran to her left to grab it and preserve Cal's 5-0 lead. Sevilla struck out on four pitches and Echavarria was pelted with a pitch from Hall. The same thing happened, this one on the first pitch, to Wallace to put two runners on and prompt an immediate OSU pitching change. Hall moved to DP, Roderfeld moved from DP to catcher and Marina DeMore came in as the new pitcher.

First up for DeMore was Henderson, who grounded out to short, but moved Echavarria to third and Wallace to second. Houston singled up the middle with a powerful short, plating Echavarria and advancing Wallace to third. Jamia Reid popped up to left to end the inning, but with Cal still leading, 6-0.

To start off the top of the sixth, Amy Bishop came in at first. Lowe flied out to Houston in right field, just shy of the foul line. Hall struck out swinging before Roderfeld reached when the throw from Wallace at short to first went awry. Pinch hitter Mary Clare Brenner popped up to Sevilla at third.

Diane Leider came in for Thomas to begin the top of the sixth with her Bears leading, 6-0. Leider connected with a Black pitch for a bobbler back to DeMore for the first out and Arioto lined out to Cavestany at third. The inning closed with DeMore issuing just three pitches after Ziegenhirt flied out to left on the first pitch she saw.

Sanchez walked to start the top of the seventh with Cal leading, 6-0. Nicole Luchanski came in to pinch hit for Doremus and reached on a fielder's choice when Leider ate up her grounder and tossed it to Kelly at short for an out. Black flew out to Houston in right for the second out of what would be the final half inning of play. Luchanski took off for second, but Ziegenhirt threw to Leider, who applied the tag and got the final out of the game.

The series concludes on Saturday with a noon match-up. Saturday's game will the final for Cal seniors Shannon Houston, Marissa Drewrey, Vernae Sevilla, Taylor Kelly and Shannon Thomas.