FRESNO – The California softball team (12-4) opened the Fresno State Invitational with a pair of wins against Southern Utah (8-0) and Fresno State (9-8) on Friday at Margie Wright Diamond.
Game 1: Cal – 8 | Southern Utah – 0
After leaving two Thunderbirds stranded on first and second base in the top half of the first inning, Cal quickly got ahead on the scoreboard after
Elon Butler hit an RBI triple, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead heading into the second inning.
Tianna Bell extended the lead in the second after a solo home run, her second of the season.
Cal tacked on another run when
Mika Lee singled down the first base line to bring the runner on third base across home plate, giving the Bears a 3-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, the Bears used a four-run frame to secure a run-rule victory. Butler continued her impressive outing with a two-run home run, her third of the season, as Cal took a 5-0 lead. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded,
Mia Phillips came up clutch again with a three-RBI double to give the Bears the walk-off win.
Anna Reimers earned her second win of the season after pitching a complete game shutout, earning one strikeout and surrendering two hits.
Game 2: Cal – 9 | Fresno State – 8
After a scoreless opening inning, the bats started heating up for the Bears. With runners on second and third base,
Nailyn Marshall hit a two-RBI single to give Cal a 2-0 lead. Later in the frame,
Lagi Quiroga executed a sacrifice fly to right field to tack another run on the scoreboard. In the next at-bat,
Elon Butler knocked in an RBI single to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Bears added four additional runs in the top of the third inning, led by
Mia Phillips, who lined a base hit to right field, bringing a runner across home plate.
Mika Lee followed an RBI single, giving Cal a 6-0 lead.
Lagi Quiroga sent a shot to right field to plate two more runs.
As the Bears seemed to be heading towards another run-run victory, the momentum began to swing after Fresno State responded with five runs at the bottom of the third inning to cut its deficit to three. The Bulldogs continued to storm back after scoring three runs in the sixth inning to even the score.
Kaylee Pond got the Bears going in the top of the seventh inning with a double to center field. As a pinch runner for Pond,
Xiomei Geluz advanced to third base after a sacrifice bunt from
Alyssa Herrera to get in scoring position.
Tianna Bell brought in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to give Cal a 9-8 lead.
The Freshman pitcher
Miranda De Nava helped seal the game for the Bears with two strikeouts and a ground out in the bottom half of the seventh inning to secure her fifth win this season.
UP NEXT
Cal will remain in Fresno for the second day of the Fresno State Invitational, beginning with Cal State Bakersfield at 10 a.m. PT, followed by Fresno State at 3 p.m. PT.
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