BERKELEY –
Makena Smith etched her name into the record book as the California softball team rallied past Santa Clara, 9-8, in 13 innings on Wednesday at Levine-Fricke Field.
Down to their final strike in the 11
th inning after giving up four runs in the top half, Smith hit a three-run homer, the 42
nd of her career to tie the game and move into a tie for fifth all-time at Cal (Lindsey Ziegenhirt, 2010-13) in career home runs.
Her next time to the plate in the 13
th frame, Smith laced a run-scoring double to left center for the walk-off victory and her 154
th career RBI, moving past Melanie McCart (153, 1994-97) for fifth-place on the Cal career list. The Golden Bears moved to 88-0 all-time against Santa Clara with the win.
Cal improved to 29-12-1 with a 3-for-6 day from Smith and two hits apiece off the bats of
Tatum Anzaldo,
Acacia Anders,
Kacey Zobac and
Hope Alley. The Broncos (18-21) were led by a 5-for-6 afternoon from Ashley Trierweiler, who is second in the NCAA with a .527 average.
Anders gave Cal a 3-2 lead in the third with a two-run shot to right, her fifth long ball of the season, plating Anzaldo after she singled. The lead was short-lived, however, after a Bronco two-run homer made it 4-3 in the fourth. The last run for six straight innings scored in the bottom of the fourth on an Alley RBI single to make it 4-4.
SCU finally broke through in the top of the 11
th, scoring four runs on three hits and a Bear fielding error to set up the dramatic comeback. Cal made it 8-5 on Anders' third RBI of the day and Smith fouled off several pitches before lining the three-run bomb over the fence in right and sending the game to the 12
th frame.
Neither team could get anything going in the 12
th and
Annabel Teperson retired the Broncos in order in the top of the 13
th, setting up another plate appearance for Smith.
Anzaldo laced a one-out double to right and Smith came through with a double to the wall in left center, allowing Anzaldo to score the game-winner in Cal's longest game since a 1-0, 12-inning, loss to Stanford in 2010.
UP NEXT
Cal returns to Pac-12 play with the Big Series on Friday-Sunday at No. 8 Stanford.
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