April 14, 2012
Final Stats
Score: No. 13 Arizona 8, No. 1 Cal 3
Site: Levine-Fricke Field (Berkeley, Calif.)
Records: Cal 38-2/10-1 Pac-12; Arizona 29-11/8-6 Pac-12
Cal Leaders: Breana Kostreba (1 HR, 2 RBI); Frani Echavarria (2 H)
Next Cal Game: Sunday vs. No. 13 Arizona (Noon)
BERKELEY - Offensive struggles plagued the No. 1 California softball team as the Golden Bears lost 8-3 to No. 13 Arizona on Saturday at Levine-Fricke Field. The Wildcats outhit the Bears 13-3 to even the Pac-12 series at one win apiece.
Cal drops only its second game of the entire season, falling to 38-2 and 10-1 in the Pac-12 while Arizona improves to 29-11 overall and 8-6 in conference play. The loss snaps Cal's 15-game winning streak.
Fresh off the 2-0 loss to Cal on Friday, the Wildcats struck first, building up to a 2-0 lead by the third. After popping up three times on Friday, Breana Kostreba found her pitch for a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the fourth, equaling the score at 2-2. The top of the sixth saw the Wildcats unleash five runs on four hits and one Cal error to forge ahead 7-2. For good measure, Arizona added another run in the seventh, only to see Frani Echavarria negate it with an RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh.
Shelby Babcock (15-7) pitched the three-hitter, striking out six but allowing three earned runs on three hits and four walks.
Valerie Arioto (17-1) suffered the loss - her first of the year - after giving up three earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out six. Jolene Henderson pitched 1.2 innings, in which she allowed four earned runs.
Frani Echavarria paced the Bears with two hits while Kostreba's homer made her the team's RBI leader.
Shelby Pendley and Karissa Buchanan both knocked in three runs apiece for the Wildcats with Buchanan and Chelsea Goodacre each tallying three hits.
Top of the Second - Arizona 1, Cal 0:
With a single through the left side, Karissa Buchanan hit in Lini Koria from third.
Top of the Third - Arizona 2, Cal 0:
Brigette Del Ponte singled on the fair side of the left-field line on the first pitch, went to second on a Koria walk and scored when Jessica Sprigner singled up the middle.
Bottom of the Fourth - Arizona 2, Cal 2:
Jace Williams walked, setting up Breana Kostreba to homer to left.
Top of the Sixth - Arizona 7, Cal 2:
Hallie Wilson got the scoring started with a single through the left side to plate Sam Davis, who pinch ran for Goodacre, who singled to second on the first pitch of the inning. A bases loaded error allowed the second run of the inning to score. Shelby Pendley doubled through the right side, clearing the bases.
Top of the Seventh - Arizona 8, Cal 2:
Wilson singled to left, plating Arriola, who had reached on a fielder's choice.
Bottom of the Seventh - Arizona 8, Cal 3:
With a single up the middle, Frani Echavarria drove in Cheyenne Cordes, who had walked.
Next Time on the Diamond:
The weekend closes April 15 at noon at Levine-Fricke Field on the inaugural Support the Troops Day.
