SALT LAKE CITY – California rallied from an early five-run deficit behind a season-high 15 hits to win Game 1 of the series at Utah, 7-5, in eight innings Friday night at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium.
The Bears (22-15, 4-6 Pac-12) homered Alexis Bishop and three days of success by Acacia Ander, Tatum Anzaldo and Kacey Zobac on the way to victory in the extra round. The Utes fell to 18-17 overall and 2-5 in Pac-12 play with the loss.
HOW DID IT HAPPEN
The Utes were able to take an early lead in the home half of the first, tackling a pair of runs on four hits to go up 2-0 after a complete. Utah kept up the momentum in the second inning, adding three runs on two hits and an error for a five-of-two lead.
Cal got on the board in the third after three hits. Anders and Anzaldo started with singles before Zobac came in with an RBI shot to the right. Anders scored on the play, but Anzaldo was sent off at home trying to score Bear’s second run of the inning.
The Bears rallied in a big way to start the fifth, thanks to some momentum from Bishop. The Novato native smashed her fourth home run of the year, a dead center bomb that pulled Cal in two runs at 5-3. Sona Halajian and Zobac followed with a double and a single, respectively, putting the runners first and third with one out.
continue the rally, Olivia Silvestre pinch ran first for Zobac and slid his sixth base of the year to put two in scoring position. After choosing a defender, alley of hope dropped in a clutch double to drive home two and even the score at five points apiece.
Cal took his first lead of the game in the top of the eighth after three more hits. Amani Bradley opened the frame with a double and Anders followed with a single, his third hit of the day, to put the Bears ahead, 6-5. Halajian added insurance with her own RBI single and she closed the match in the bottom half of the set to seal the victory and her 14and win of the season.
NEXT
Cal and Utah meet for Game 2 of the series at 2:00 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 9 from Dumke Family Softball Stadium.
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