Courtesy of Arizona Athletics
BERKELEY, Calif. – Five RBI from Chelsea Goodacre and a complete-game gem from Michelle Floyd led 18th-ranked Arizona to a 9-2 victory over No. 11 Cal to open Pac-12 play.
Arizona (22-6, 1-0 Pac-12) hit three home runs in the game, pacing an offense which scored its nine runs on nine hits. Chelsea Goodacre hit a three-run homer, three of Arizona’s five runs in the third inning. Hallie Wilson and Kellie Fox also went deep in the game.
Michelle Floyd (11-4) went the distance in the circle, allowing just four Cal hits in the contest. The sophomore surrendered two runs, just one earned, in the seven innings.
Goodacre’s three-run homer represented three of her five RBI in the game. The senior, who leads the team with 41 RBI this season, is now five RBI away from becoming the 10th player in UA history to drive in 200-plus runs in her career. Her third-inning homer was her team-high ninth of the season.
Arizona got to Cal starter Katie Sutherland-Finch (7-2) early, plating two runs in the top of the first. A Chelsea Suitos single and two-out Katiyana Mauga walk put two on for Goodacre, who doubled the opposite way to plate the pair.
UA sent 11 batters to the plate in the third inning, scoring five runs to take a 7-0 lead. A leadoff Wilson double and Suitos single put the Cats in business for Mauga, who singled in a run through the left side. Goodacre followed with a three-run blast to center to put Arizona on top 6-0. With two down, Alexis Dotson won a nine-pitch battle with Cal reliever Stephanie Trzcinski, singling through the right side to put the Cats up 7-0. Arizona would go on to load the bases in the frame, but UA could not do further damage.
The Bears struck back with single runs in the third and fifth innings, both on ground ball outs.
Arizona got both runs back when, over the span of five pitches, Wilson and Fox connected on solo shots in the sixth to return Floyd’s cushion to seven runs.
Floyd worked out of a mini jam in the sixth and retired the top of the Bears lineup in order in the seventh to get the win. It was Arizona’s second win over a ranked opponent this season.
For more information on Arizona softball, check out www.arizonawildcats.com and be sure to follow the team’s Twitter and Instagram accounts (@UA_Softball).
