Courtesy of California Athletics
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Against two strong teams at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday, No. 21 Cal softball displayed its fight, using a walk-off homer to down No. 9 Florida State, 7-6, but fell short to South Carolina, 3-1, despite another seventh-inning surge. Cal is 12-1 on the season after splitting its Saturday games.
Down 6-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, Cal scored all seven of its runs against FSU in its final inning. Freshman Kobie Pettis went yard for the first time in her collegiate career for Cal to win with a walk-off, two-run homer.
The Bears scored first against the Gamecocks but could not string together enough offense to overcome a two-run home run at the top of the second and an RBI single at the top of the seventh.
Florida State used a two-out home run at the top of the second to get on the board first. A single and a walk put two runners on for the Seminoles before Maddie O’Brien cleared the bases with a shot to dead center, and FSU took a 3-0 lead.
A solo home run by Alex Powers at the top of the fifth added another run to FSU’s tally, 4-0.
The Seminoles added two more runs at the top of the seventh on a two RBI single to right field by Powers, and it looked all but over for the Bears.
Cal started its side of the seventh near dire straits with a strikeout by sophomore Alleah Laxamana. Sophomore Bailey O’Mara stepped up to the plate for just the second time this season, hitting in place of junior Vanessa Alvarez. O’Mara dropped a single into right to get on base and keep the Bears alive. Now back to the top of the order, freshman Jazmyn Jackson created some momentum for the Bears with a rare inside-the-park home run to left field, dashing around the bases and cutting the ‘Noles lead to 6-2.
Next up, freshman Taurie Pogue replaced sophomore Kylie Reed for her first at bat of the day. Pogue sent a base hit to left field and kept going on an error by the FSU left fielder, and Reed replaced her as a runner at second. Vonk drew a walk to make it two runners on with one out. The Bears found themselves in dire straits when senior Cheyenne Cordes struck out. Now, with two runners on and two outs, senior Danielle Henderson drew a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch brought Reed across, and Cal chipped away again, 6-3.
With runners in scoring position, senior Breana Kostreba came up big with a two RBI single up the middle, and suddenly the Bears were within one run of tying the game. Instead of tying it, they one-upped it, using Pettis’ walk-off homer to down the ninth-ranked Seminoles.
Though Florida State outhit Cal 12-7, Pettis went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Kostreba and Jackson added another two RBIs and a run each.
Stephanie Trzcinski improved to 5-0 in the circle with four earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts against the Noles.
