BERKELEY – For the second consecutive outing, California has gotten an early jump on visiting Oregon State with a two-run frame to open the game.
 
The Golden Bears pegged five singles in the bottom of the first, with one of the nation's leading hitters Lindsay Rood starting off with a base hit and her first of three stolen bags. The senior now has 27 steals on the year to pace the Pac-12.
 
Jordan Fines, who started in the No. 2 spot for the first time on Saturday, followed to advance Rood to the hot corner and as the defense threw home, Fines baited the Beavers halfway between first and second. The Beavers went for the pick, but Fines was safe and Rood made it home.
 
That energy carried the Bears the rest of the way through as Cal found its second Pac-12 win of the year on a 4-1 decision.
 
The Bears (22-20, 2-12 Pac-12) looked in better shape than they had all series, after Fines was brought home on an RBI bunt single from Makena Smith to give Cal it's second 2-0 lead of the weekend.
 
As Cal took early command, forcing consecutive 3-up, 3-down defensive showings in the early frames, Rood, who went (3-for-4), found the plate on an error to move ahead 3-0.
 
The Beavers did not get their first hit until a one-out single snuck through the left side in the third, but it went unrewarded.
 
Perhaps the Bears felt extra incentive with notable alumni in the crowd for Alumni Day. Attendees included the program's first Olympian Michele Granger who threw out the first pitch and wanted to avoid becoming the first team to get swept by the Beavers since 2007.
 
Whatever it was, a reenergized Cal clipped a 10-game streak of league losses in its penultimate home Pac-12 series. The Bears are now five games away from closing the gates at Levine-Fricke Field for good as construction for a new stadium will begin in fall.
 
Cal gave up a score in the top of the fifth, but the defense remained steady and the offense kept its edge combining for 11 hits.
 
Amani Bradley added an insurance run for the Bears in the bottom of the sixth after leading off the half with a single.

Kamalani Dung picked up her 11th win of the year giving up three hits, one run and adding four strikeouts to the ledger. Dung was relieved after 5.0 innings, and senior co-ace Zoe Conley closed things out in 2.0 innings of work giving up just one hit.
 
The Bears head to Oregon for a Thursday-Saturday series which will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
For more information on Cal softball, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @CalSB.