Late Rally Not Enough For Bears

BERKELEY – California rallied late, scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but left the tying run on third base in a 5-4 nonconference loss to Sacramento State on Wednesday at Levine-Fricke Field.

Sona Halajian, Alexis Bishop and Makena Smith all homered for the Bears (20-10) in the loss, while the Hornets (16-13) got a 3-for-3 day at the plate from Lewa Day. Smith raised her Pac-12 conference-leading batting average to .493 with a 2-for-3 day at the plate for California.

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a pitcher's duel through the first four innings with Cal starter Haylei Archer and Sac State starter Marissa Bertuccio not allowing a run. Annabel Teperson came on in relief to start the fifth and the Hornets got on the board first with a solo home run.  

Halajian took over in the circle to start the sixth, but Sac State got two runs on two hits and led 3-0 before Cal got one back in the bottom half. Halajian crushed a 1-2 pitch that got over the wall in left in a hurry, her eighth home run of the year to make it 3-1, Hornets.

After Sac State added two more runs on three hits in the seventh, Cal rallied in the final frame. D'Asha Saiki doubled to start the inning and scored on a pinch-hit opposite field home run by Bishop to make it 5-3. Smith made it even closer by sending the first pitch she saw over the wall in left and it was 5-4 with one-out.

Tatum Anzaldo singled and stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position, but a groundout and flyout ended the game and left the tying run on base.

UP NEXT
Cal returns to Pac-12 play with a three-game set at No. 12 Oregon this weekend. The first game of the series is set for 6 p.m. PT on Friday, March 25 from Jane Sanders Stadium and will be carried on Pac-12 Plus.  

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