Bears Blast Miners To Close Littlewood Classic

TEMPE, Ariz. – California softball split the final day of the Littlewood Classic on Sunday at Farrington Stadium, falling to Minnesota 7-6 in eight innings, before blasting UTEP 13-1 in five innings.

The Bears finished the weekend at 7-3 overall with the split. Cal clubbed six home runs on the day, including two apiece from Makena Smith and Aleia Agbayani. 

Game 1 – Cal 6, Minnesota 7 (8)
It was early offense for both teams to get the morning started. After Minnesota scored two in the top half of the first Cal answered in the bottom half. Tatum Anzaldo led off with a base hit before Acacia Anders smashed her first-career home run off the scoreboard in left field to make it 2-2 after one.

Cal took the lead, 3-2, in the second when Anzaldo doubled off the wall in left to score Sophie Medellin who drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a Kennedy Thomas sacrifice bunt.

The Bears added some insurance in the fourth on doubles from Kacey Zobac and Amani Bradley along with a Thomas base hit to make it a 2-run game.

Minnesota fought back in the sixth, scoring four runs with two outs on a home run and a double to make the score 6-4, Gophers.

Three straight singles from Anders, Smith and Sona Halajian loaded the bases with nobody out for the Bears in the seventh before back-to-back wild pitches tied the score at 6-6. The Gophers got out of the jam to send it to the international tie breaker in the eighth and scored a run on two hits in the top half. Bradley reached third base in the Bears' half, but was stranded to end the game.

Game 2 – Cal 13, UTEP 1 (5)
Cal started swinging it early for the second straight game, taking a 2-0 lead on an Anders double followed by the third home run of the season for Smith. Keeping it going in the second, Zobac led off the inning with a double and Cal had the bases loaded with nobody down after a Sophie Medellin walk and Bradley bunt single.

Back-to-back RBI singles from Anzaldo and Anders made it 5-0 Cal until Smith blasted her second home run of the game, a 3-run shot, making it an eight-run game. Solo homers from Halajian and Agbayani made it 11-1 Bears through the top of the fourth.

Agbayani smashed her second home run in as many at-bats to make it 13-0 in the fifth, bringing home Morgan Zamora after she tripled to start the frame.

Up Next:
Cal returns to Berkeley for the 2022 home opener, hosting Saint Mary's at Levine-Fricke Field for a 2 p.m. first pitch. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.

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