Feb. 11, 2011
Final Stats
TEMPE, Ariz. -The California softball team began its 2011 season in quite dramatic fashion - with a 14-1 conquering of Cal State Bakersfield on Friday afternoon. Sophomore Jolene Henderson earned the win with four innings of work, allowing just one hit. On the other side of the ball, it was Henderson again who led the way with six RBI off a grand slam and a two-run homer to push the Golden Bears (1-0) over the Roadrunners (0-1).
Cal fruitfully returned to successful opening day history by winning the first game of the 2011 season. In four of the past six season lid lifters, the Bears have scored 10+ runs.
The Bears absolutely unleashed on Bakersfield from the get go, scoring eight unanswered runs in the first inning. Henderson captained that brigade with a grand slam to put Cal up 6-0, and the Bears never looked back. Cal tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third and four in the fourth before Bakersfield could even get someone to third. The Roadrunners avoided the shutout with a run in the top of the fifth, but it was five runs shy of evading the mercy.
In all, Henderson paced both teams with six RBI while Jamia Reid had a game-high three hits. Five Bears scored twice - Jamia Reid, Britt Vonk, Lindsey Ziegenhirt, Victoria Jones and Henderson. Henderson gave up just one run, striking out four in four innings of work. Arianna Erceg pitched the fifth and final inning, allowing two hits and one earned run.
Cal plowed through the CSUB pitching - three Roadrunners did work in the circle - for 13 earned runs off of as many hits.
Next up, the Bears play two games Saturday - a 1:30 p.m. PT match against Cal State Northridge and a 4 p.m. PT game versus Texas Tech. Sunday wraps up the weekend with a game against Indiana that is set to begin at 9 a.m.
Cal got right to work in the bottom of the first with freshman shortstop Britt Vonk earning a full-count walk and scoring thanks for a Frani Echavarria double to left center. Jace Williams then doubled over the center fielder to put runners at second and third. Lindsey Ziegenhirt plated Echavarria and moved Williams to third with a base hit to center. Victoria Jones walked to load the bases with two outs, bringing Henderson to the plate and she promptly went yard.
With the Bears up, 6-0, Ashley Decker walked in her first collegiate at bat, and stole second on a dropped ball behind the plate. Jamia Reid laid down a bunt and beat the throw to first, putting runners at first and third. Reid took the force off with her first stolen base of the season. Vonk doubled to left, scoring Decker and Reid to give the Bears that essential 8-0 lead at the end of the first complete inning of the season.
Henderson sent the Roadrunners down in order in the top of the second. Bakersfield made a pitching change to start the bottom of the second with Sarah Hoag replacing Sammy Rodriguez, who had given up those eight earned runs on six hits. The switch proved temporarily effective, rendering the Bear bats useless with Hoag facing the minimum Bears in the bottom of the second.
It was a horse of a different color in the bottom of the third, when the Bears scored twice. Vonk earned a RBI with a double to left, scoring Jamia Reid, who had also doubled. Echavarria belted a hit to left, scoring Vonk.
With her team leading 10-0, Ziegenhirt opened the bottom of the fourth with a double to left. Elia Reid reached on an error at first, advancing to second on the throw while Ziegenhirt moved to third. Victoria Jones doubled to right center, scoring both Ziegenhirt and Reid. After those two Bears crossed the plate, Alyssa Walker came in to pitch and promptly teed off for a home run to left center, scoring Cal's final two runs of the game.
With Erceg in the circle for her first collegiate appearance, she got her first batter - Ashley Nahale - to ground out to Jones at second. Emily Bliss, pinch hitting for Karlee Rodgers, walked and then advanced to third thanks to a double by Stefanie Frei. With the bases loaded after Erceg hit pinch hitter Tera Macias, Jamie Miller fouled out to Amy Bishop at third. With two outs, Myshayla Fryer singled through the left side to plate Bliss for CSUB's sole score of the game. Erceg got Ryane Peterson to ground out to Bishop to end the game in favor of Cal, 14-1.
