Four Earn NFCA All-Region Honors

BERKELEY – Four members of the Cal softball team earned all-region honors for their stellar seasons, as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Thursday.

Junior catcher Makena Smith and sophomore utility player Sona Halajian earned first team honors, while sophomore shortstop Tatum Anzaldo was named to the second team. Freshman third baseman Acacia Anders was named to the third team.

Smith, who recently earned First Team All-Pac-12 accolades, led the Bears with a .412 batting average. The Murrieta, Calif., native led the Bears in total bases with 101, clubbing six doubles, a triple, and tied for the team lead with 13 home runs.

Halajian, Cal's two-way starter, led the Bears with RBI (43) while finishing tied with Smith for the team lead with 13 home runs. She also finished third on the team with a .312 batting average. In the circle, Halajian went 18-10 as a starter, tossing 14 complete games while striking out 119.

Anzaldo, the sophomore shortstop from Whittier, Calif., excelled at the plate and in the infield for the Bears. She finished with 74 hits which were tops on the team while scoring 35 runs and driving in 24. She started every game at short and led the conference in double plays.

Anders had a huge impact on the Bears in her first season of collegiate softball. She finished fourth on the team with a .315 batting average. Her 55 hits were second among all freshmen in the conference. The Vacaville, Calif., native hit a walk-off home run on March 19 to secure Cal's first win over Washington since the 2016 season.

NFCA Pacific Region First Team: Makena Smith, Catcher; Sona Halajian, Pitcher/Utility
NFCA Pacific Region Second Team:  Tatum Anzaldo, shortstop
NFCA Pacific Region Third Team: Acacia Anders, third base

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