DAVIS, Calif. – The California softball team held on for an 8-5, eight-inning, win at UC Davis to open its midweek slate on Tuesday at La Rue Field.
The Bears (17-4) collected 14 hits as a team, led by three apiece from
Tatum Anzaldo and
Mika Lee.
Annabel Teperson earned her fifth win of the season in relief and
Haylei Archer got her third save of the year.
Sona Halajian got the start in the circle for Cal and found her groove after three Aggie singles in the first led to a 1-0 deficit for the Bears. Facing reigning Big West Pitcher of the Week, Kenedi Brown, the bats finally got going in the fourth.
Mika Lee recorded Cal's first hit of the day with a bunt single and the Bears had two runners in scoring position after a
Kacey Zobac double to left center. Brown was within a strike of getting out of the jam after a strikeout and a 2-2 count on Halajian, but she came through with a 2-run single up the middle to give the Bears a one-run lead.
Halajian kept it going in the circle through five, getting a strikeout to end the frame with the game-tying run on second after a hit by pitch and stolen base. Cal got some insurance in the sixth thanks to a couple of Aggie errors and a two-run home run off the bat of
D'Asha Saiki to make it 5-1, Bears, heading to the home half.
UCD got its first hit since the opening inning to lead off the frame, a solo shot to left field that made it a three-run advantage for Cal, but Halajian got a big strikeout to end it with two Aggies stranded on the bases. An RBI single in the seventh forced Cal to go to Teperson out of the bullpen with two runners on and one out. She got a flyout for the second out, but another RBI single and an error allowed the tying run to race home.
Cal answered right away in the eighth thanks to an RBI double off the bat of
Acacia Anders, followed by two straight RBI singles from Anzaldo and Lee, making it 8-5. Archer entered with two on and one down, getting a come-backer and a strikeout to end it for the Bears.
UP NEXT
Cal opens Pac-12 play with a three-game series vs. No. 2 UCLA March 10-12 at Levine-Fricke Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. on Friday.
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