Feb. 10, 2012
Final Stats | Postgame Video With Arioto | Postgame Video Interview With D. Henderson
TEMPE, Ariz. - The highly touted, season-starting match-up between the No. 3/4 California softball team and No. 9/14 Tennessee proved to be as thrilling as collegiate softball fans thought it would be with the Golden Bears emerging victoriously with a 13-5 win.
Valerie Arioto redshirted her true senior season last year after breaking her leg on the second day of practice, and came back with a vengeance in her very first at-bat by homering to center then nothing another homer later in the game. Jace Williams and Danielle Henderson also chipped in homers.
"I don't hit homers, especially oppo, so I definitely surprised myself," Williams said. "I'm just glad we got that firest game out of the way and in the way we did."
The Bears start the road to Oklahoma City with a 1-0 record while Lady Volunteers fall to 1-1 on their two-day old season.
"Last year, we didn't score that many runs that often so it was nice to put up a 13 spot in game one," Williams said. "It felt good to have more power in the line-up this year. Jolene did a great job. It was a good way to start."
Arioto had a game-high four RBI while Williams and Henderson each had two.
The game began as a see-saw battle with Tennessee earning a 3-1 lead only for Cal to even the scoreboard in the top of the second. Then, down by one at 4-1, the Bears unloaded with four runs in the third and three in the fourth to take an impressive 10-4 lead. Cal tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh.
Jolene Henderson pitched the complete-game victory, allowing five runs on nine hits while fanning five.
The Bears worked the Tennessee duo of Ivy Renfroe and Cheyanne Tarango for 12 earned runs. Renfroe started and pitched the end of the game for a combined total of 6.1 innings, in which she gave up eight earned runs off 10 hits with nine strikeouts. Tarango pitched what turned out to be 0.2 innings - allowing four earn runs across the six batters she faced.
Top of the First - California 1, Tennessee 0:
After working her way to a 3-1 count, Arioto sent Renfroe's pitch sailing over the wall in left field for her 32nd home run of her storied California career.
Bottom of the first - California 1, Tennessee 3:
The Lady Vols loaded the bases when Ashley Andrews put down a bunt single, Lauren Gibson worked a full-count walk, Madison Shipman singled into shallow left field and then Cheyanne Tarango walked to bring Andrews home. Shelby Burchell then singled to second, where Victoria Jones made a diving stop but could not dish the ball off in time and Gibson came home.
Top of the Second - California 3, Tennessee 3:
Breana Kostreba connected on the very first pitch, sending the ball to the right-field wall for a single. Cheyenne Cordes and Jolene Henderson both singled into left to load the bases for Frani Echavarria with one away. Catcher Hannah Akamine let a pitch get away from her - allowing Kostreba to come home - and then Renfroe put the ball in the dirt for a wild pitch, which allowed Cordes to come home to even the score.
Bottom of the Second - California 3, Tennessee 4:
Hammond put down a bunt single that no Bear could get a handle on and then Andrews singled to short, where Cordes was waiting with a handy glove to make sure the ball didn't reach grass. Gibson notched her second walk of the game to load the bases for Shipman, who drove in Hammond.
Top of the Third: California 7, Tennessee 4:
As she's known to do, Arioto waited out a walk and was justly rewarded when Williams homered to left center. It was déjà vu for Cordes walked and then Henderson homered to right.
Top of the Fourth: California 10, Tennessee 4:
Britt Vonk walked and then Arioto put the ball clear over two fences to up the Bears' lead to six.
Top of the Seventh: California 13, Tennessee 4:
Williams walked then Kostreba moved her to second with a single to right and Cordes followed with a double to center, plating Williams. Pinch hitting for Jolene Henderson, Lindsey Ziegenhirt popped up to center to score a sliding Kostreba. Echavarria sent the ball to left field, but it touched the rail and came back for a single, but a single that scored Cordes.
Bottom of the Seventh - California 13, Tennessee 5:
Hammond was hit by a pitch with the bases load to score Tarango.
Next Time on the Diamond:
The Bears play their first doubleheader of the season with an 8 a.m. PT game against Bradley and a 10:30 a.m. PT match-up with Texas State
Game Notes:
• The Bears now hold a 4-0 all-time record with the Vols
• Prefacing three of the four homers were walks
• Valerie Arioto's homers were the 32nd and 33rd of her career
• Jace Williams' home run was the fourth of her Cal career
• Danielle Henderson notched her first homer in a Bear uniform
• Freshmen Cheyenne Cordes, Danielle Henderson and Breana Kostreba made their first Cal starts
• The last time the two teams met, which was Feb. 26, 2005, Cal was the top team in the country while Tennessee was ranked fifth
• In five of the past seven lid lifters, the Bears have score 10 or more runs
