NORMAN, Okla. – The California softball team hit six home runs in two games to sweep through Saturday at the NCAA Norman Regional and advance to Sunday's Regional Final vs. No. 1 Oklahoma.

The Golden Bears (35-20-1) beat Hofstra 7-0 in the first game of the day and secured their spot in the final with a 7-5 win over Missouri in the nightcap, avenging Friday's loss to the Tigers. Makena Smith hit a pair of homers and drove in three runs combined while Haylei Archer threw 8.2 innings and allowed just three runs in the two contests.  

After only scoring one run against Missouri in the regional opener, the bats got going quickly in the rematch. Cal got on the board first in the second frame on an Elon Butler RBI single and it was 4-0 in the third after a Tatum Anzaldo RBI single and a Smith 2-run shot to left.

Anzaldo recorded another RBI single to make it 5-0 before Missouri got back in it with three straight solo homers to cut the deficit to two runs.  Cal got insurance in the fifth on a run-scoring wild pitch and again in the seventh when Sona Halajian crushed a moonshot of a solo home run well over the batter's eye in dead center field.

The Tigers threatened in the home half of the frame, scoring two runs on three hits but Archer used a groundout to end the game with the tying run at the plate.

In the matinee win over the Pride, Acacia Anders and Smith went back-to-back in the third to put Cal in front 4-0, made it 6-0 on a Kacey Zobac 2-run shot in the sixth made it a seven-run game in the seventh on Anders' third RBI of the game.

UP NEXT
Cal battles No. 1 Oklahoma in the Norman Regional Final at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday at Marita Hynes Field.  

Saturday slugfest for the Bears! 🐻@CalSB eliminates Missouri to advance to the Norman Regional final vs. Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/DggRZ6Wvd2

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) May 21, 2023