AUBURN – California suffered a painful end to the season falling 8-2 to 7th-seeded Auburn at the Regional Final on Sunday. It was a tough pill to swallow for the Golden Bears after a closely-contested matchup to open Saturday, where the Bears fell 4-3 in nine innings to the Tigers in their first extra-inning game of 2017.
 
Cal found its defensive momentum, led by Zoe Conley in the circle who held Auburn scoreless through four frames, beginning in the third, before the Tigers managed a homer to round out scoring in the top of the seventh.
 
Danielle Bowers tabbed the Bears' first run of the day, but Cal could not overcome a seven-run deficit, after the Tigers scored four runs in the top of the opening and three in the top of inning two.
 
Senior Kylie Reed found the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning on a ball hit into double play to slightly close the scoring gap.
 
The 2017 season tested the Bears throughout their 56 games opening the season with a six-week road stint. Cal came out of the early stretch with an impressive 24-3 record and entered the polls ranked 23rd.
 
Pac-12 conference proved as potent as the rumors as the Bears faced top-25 opponents nearly every weekend. Cal finished eighth in conference with a 6-17 record, but ended on a positive note with a 3-0 victory at then 22-ranked Arizona State and grabbed a series win over Oregon State to head in to the post season.
 
Junior Jazmyn Jackson headlined the season as she led the conference with 17 doubles to pick up not only an All-Pac-12 honor, but also was named to the NFCA All-Pacific-Region first team. Reed and sophomore Lindsay Rood also picked up All-Pac-12 honors for consecutive nods.
 
Conley, who pitched in each of Cal's four regional games, was a mainstay for the Bears in the circle and finished with a 20-14 record in 223.0 innings pitched.
 
The Bears closed off the programs 44th year with their 31st post season appearance, downing Notre Dame twice. Seven seniors depart with 14 to return next year.
 
 
Cal 5, Notre Dame 3
After a rain delay postponed Saturday's rematch with the Fighting Irish in the elimination bracket, the Golden Bears returned to the field fresh and ready. Cal clinched the 5-3 victory, after leading 4-3 before the delay, to open Sunday.
 
Junior Kobie Pettis gave the Bears the two-run cushion with a bomb out of right center in the top of the seventh; it was her first homer of the season.
 
Cal trailed Notre Dame headed into the top of the fifth after the Irish posted a three-run half in the bottom of the fourth. The Bears responded with a three score frame of their own with the top of the lineup – Jazmyn Jackson, Kylie Reed and Lindsay Rood -- all finding the plate.
 
Senior Annie Aldrete also scored in the top of the second to jump on the boards 1-0 to get things going for the Bears.
 
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