BERKELEY – The No. 19 California softball team hit three home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a five-run deficit and got a Kaylee Pond walk-off RBI in the ninth to earn a 7-6 win and even the series with No. 21 Arizona on Saturday at Levine-Fricke Field.   

Acacia Anders, Tianna Bell and Elon Butler all went deep for the Golden Bears (23-8, 2-6 Pac-12). Allie Skaggs had three RBI to pace the Wildcats (21-8-1, 4-4 Pac-12).

Trailing 6-0 heading to the home sixth, the Bears started to rally. Anders drew a leadoff walk and Tatum Anzaldo singled, before Pond reached on another free pass to load the bases. After a pair of strikeouts, Hope Alley took the third walk of the frame to finally get Cal on the board.

After a flyout started the seventh inning, Mika Lee walked and Anders crushed a 2-run shot to dead center, her fourth of the season. The home run forced an Arizona pitching change as the Cats went back to starter, Miranda Stoddard.

Anzaldo kept the rally going with her third single of the day, before a strikeout put the Bears down to their final out. Bell took the second pitch she saw into the bleachers in left field and Butler followed with an opposite field blast to tie the game as Cal took all of the momentum heading into extra innings after a strikeout ended the frame.

Starter Haylei Archer battled through the entire game in the circle for the Bears, keeping the Wildcats off the board in four of the final five innings while throwing 145 pitches. Cal walked it off in the ninth when Anders doubled down the right field line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and raced home on Pond's grounder to second base.

UP NEXT
Cal and Arizona meet for the rubber match of the series at noon on Sunday on the Pac-12 Network.    

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