Early Lead Not Enough In Series Finale

SALT LAKE CITY – California got out to an early lead for the first time of the weekend, but couldn't hold on to it as Utah came back to take the series finale, 6-4, Sunday afternoon at Dumke Family Softball Stadium.

The Bears (22-17, 4-8 Pac-12) were led by home runs from Kacey Zobac and Sophie Medellin. The Utes (20-17, 4-5 Pac-12) got two hits from Katie Faulk.   

HOW IT HAPPENED
Changing the way the series had started in the first two games, it was Cal who jumped out to an early lead for the first time of the weekend. Acacia Anders started the day with a base hit and after a couple of strikeouts, the Bears the bats came alive with two down.

Sona Halajian laced a single off the wall in center to put runners on the corners and Zobac came through with her fifth home run of the season, deep to center field. Cal wasn't done as Medellin made it back-to-back long balls, planting one over the fence inside the left foul pole for her first home run of the season.

Leading 4-0 after the visitor's first, the Utes got two back in the home half on three hits and an error to make it 4-2 after one complete. Halajian was able to settle in through the next two frames, retiring eight straight Ute batters to close the third.

Utah was able to get a two-out rally going for themselves in the fourth, however, using a triple and a wild pitch to pull within 4-3. The Utes took their first lead of the day in the fifth behind a hit and an error, going up 5-4 and made it 6-4 in the sixth on a solo home run.

UP NEXT
Cal returns home for rivalry week, hosting Stanford in a three-game series beginning Thursday, April 14 with a 3 pm PT first pitch from Levine-Fricke Field.    

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