March 13, 2011
Final Stats
FRESNO, Calif. - After winning three games on Fresno State's home turf at this weekend's Bayer CropScience Classic, the No. 11 California softball team went to work against host Fresno State. The Golden Bears rained eight hits on the Bulldogs to defeat them, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears (16-2) earned some vengenance over the Bulldogs (13-5) after Fresno State defeated the Bears, 3-2, on March 8, 2009. That was the last time the Bears had traveled to the annual tournament hosted by Fresno State and the loss to the Bulldogs had given the Bears a 3-1 record in Fresno, much to Cal's chagrin.
The Bears faced a deficit for the first time all weekend when Fresno State scored in the bottom of the first. After two scoreless innings of their own, the Bears scored twice in the third and thrice in the fourth to build a 5-1 lead. Fresno State scored once in the sixth but Cal returned the favor in the seventh for the final 6-2 score.
"For some reason, I love playing when the majority of the people in the stands are rooting against me," Jace Williams said. "We did a great job of getting on base all game and strung some clutch hits together! It was a complete team effort. Without my teammates doing their jobs and getting on base, both of my hits would have meant nothing!"
Sophomore hurler Jolene Henderson pitched her fourth game of the weekend, allowing just three hits and striking out six to get the win. Cal got five earned runs off of Michelle Moses and one off reliever Mackenzie Oakes.
Jace Williams was the key to the Cal offense, driving in four RBI.
Jamia Reid tallied a team-high three hits while Britt Vonk and Williams had two of their own. Ashley Decker, who started in right, came around to score twice.
"I'm glad I was given the opportunity to start," Decker noted. "It was a great feeling getting on base and scoring against Fresno State."
Jamia Reid was named the tournament MVP while Henderson landed on the all-tournament team after pitching all four wins.
Top 1 - Cal 0, FSU 0:
The Bears got hits from Jamia Reid and Britt Vonk to start the game, but Cal left two runners stranded.
Bottom 1 - Cal 0, FSU 1:
Haley Gilleland singled to center and then stole second. Brooke Ortiz reached on an error at short while Gilleland moved to third. Moses hit into the double play but Gilleland came home to score. Courtney Moore grounded out to Jordan Wallace to close the inning.
Top 2 - Cal 0, FSU 1:
After two hits in the first, Moses shut down the Cal offense with two swinging strikeouts and one pop up.
Top 3 - Cal 2, FSU 1:
Ashley Decker began the inning with a single to left and advanced to second courtesy a Vonk single. Next up was Williams, who was determined to overpower the Bulldogs, and overpower she did with a two-RBI double to center.
Bottom 3 - Cal 2, FSU 1:
Now back in control of the game, it was three up and three down for the Bulldogs with one K and two ground outs. It was the first inning in which the Bears did not commit an error.
Top 4 - Cal 5, FSU 1:
It was a similar story in the fourth as it was in the third, with Williams singling to right to plate two Bears. Scoring in the fourth were Jamia Reid and Decker. Prior to those two runs, Wallace came around thanks to a Jamia Reid RBI single to center.
Bottom 6 - Cal 5, FSU 2:
Rebecca Hall singled to third but came off in the next play, when Gilleland reached on a fielder's choice with a grounder to short. Gilleland moved to second on a single to center from Ortiz and then to third on a passed ball. Moses flied out to right in what would be a sac fly with Gilleland scoring the unearned run. Moore grounded out for the final out.
Top 7 - Cal 6, FSU 2:
Williams baffled the pitching staff, moving to all the to third with a walk and two wild pitches. Ziegenhirt had an RBI ground out to short, scoring Williams for the final run of the game.
Bottom 7 - Cal 6, FSU 2:
In their final three at bats, the Bulldogs could not get bat on ball with three ground outs.
2011 Bayer CropScience Classic All-Tournament Team:
Most Valuable Player: Jamia Reid - California
Mackenzie Oakes - Fresno State
Alison Kresl - Bradley
Jolene Henderson - California
Lindsey Vande Wall - Drake
Amanda Fitzsimmons - Idaho State
Hayden Gann - Troy
What's Next:
Cal heads to what could be the nicest setting of the 2011 campaign - a six-game swing in the happiest state in the Union: Hawaii. The Bears will play at the Hawaii Spring Fling from March 16-19 in Honolulu. It all starts March 16 against Iona. The Bears will play two games on March 17 - Cleveland State and BYU - and two on March 18 - Hawaii and a bracket game that is to be announced. Cal is slated to close things with another TBD game on March 19.
