BERKELEY – Lindsay Rood looked to set the tone early in the Golden Bears final series ever to be played at historical Levine-Fricke Field.
 
Plans for a new stadium in Strawberry Canyon are set. And though the future is exciting, California's current roster is hoping to send the program off with a big final weekend at its home site.
 
The senior shortstop took a step toward that mission as she led off with a long shot, her fifth of the season, through right center to open the game against No. 5 Arizona and tie things 1-1. Rood went 3-for-4 on the day, a game high.
 
From there, Cal (25-24, 3-15 Pac-12) continued its offensive run, extending its lead in the second to 3-1 after junior utility player Jordan Fines (0-for-2) and senior outfielder Krysten McCue (2-for-3) scored.
 
Fines led off with a walk and McCue got her first base hit of the day and advanced to second base on a fielding error before sophomore outfielder Sabrina Nunez (1-for-3), batting ninth in the order, recorded the two-RBI shot up the middle to round out scoring for the Bears.
 
Though Cal went scoreless through the remaining five innings, it is the first team to score three runs against UA (39-7, 16-0 Pac-12) since March 17 when Oregon fell 8-3 and is the only team to outhit the Wildcats (9-6) in that same stretch.
 
Despite three defensive errors, the Bears kept the Cats scoreless through five innings, but were unable to recover from the Cats' five-run frame in the third to help the effort.
 
Pac-12 home runs leader Jessie Harper lived up to the hype as she pelted a three-run dinger through right center to give the Wildcats the lead for the remainder of the game. UA added a pair of RBI singles for the final 6-3 margin.
 
Zoe Conley (8-15) was credited with the loss behind a valiant effort against a top-5 team. She went the distance, allowing five earned runs, six hits, and walking five batters. She recorded five strikeouts against the league's most potent offense.
 
Cal continues its final weekend at Levine-Fricke Field tomorrow with game 2 slated for a 1 p.m. (PT) start.
 
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