(Photo Courtesy of Cal Athletics)
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Walk-off homers determined the outcome of both of No. 23 California’s (5-3) Saturday games as the Golden Bears split their record with a 4-3 loss to Texas State (7-2) and a 5-4 win over Cal State Fullerton (8-3) at the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego.
In Cal’s first game of the afternoon, Texas State’s Katie Doerre homered at the bottom of the seventh to lead the Bobcats to their seventh win, and junior Danielle Henderson paid it forward in Cal’s bout with Cal State Fullerton for the walk-off winner. It was Henderson’s second homer of the day, and the third baseman finished with a .571 batting average (4-for-7) between the two games with a triple, six RBI and three runs scored to go along with her pair of long balls. Junior Cheyenne Cordes also scored three runs, aided by her two doubles and a triple.
Against Texas State, a triple by Cordes at the top of the third paved the way for a Cal run when Henderson sent a ball up the middle for an RBI.
The Bobcats took the lead at the bottom of the fourth when Courtney Harris drew a walk, then ran to third on a single by Delia Saucedo. Harris scored on a throwing error, and then the designated player Kortney Koroll tabbed a two-run homer to make the score 3-1.
The score remained 3-1 until the top and the seventh when the Bears rallied with another extra-base hit from Cordes. The Bear shortstop doubled through the left side before Henderson homered to left field to tie the game up.
Unfortunately, the tie was short lived when Doerre homered to left field for the walk-off winner.
Freshman Stephanie Trzcinski (0-2) was charged with the loss with the walk-off homer after pitching two innings, allowing one hit and two walks while whiffing three. Freshman Katie Sutherland-Finch tossed the first four innings, allowing two earned runs and four walks while striking out two. Cordes, Henderson and freshman Kylie Reed all led at the plate with 2-for-4 performances.
Cal brought its big bats against Fullerton, tallying three doubles, two triples and a homer despite the Titans outhitting the Bears 10-7.
The Titans were first to get on the board when Missy Taukeiaho hit a leadoff single through the left side at the top of the first, and Ariel Tsuchiyama got on base after she was hit by a pitch. A sac bunt moved the runners over before Eliza Crawford hit an RBI single to score Taukeiaho, and Tsuchiyama came home on the next play with a single by Samantha Galarza.
Cal tacked one run on at the bottom of the third starting with a leadoff walk from junior Breana Kostreba. A Fullerton fielding error and a walk added another two runners to load the bases and Kostreba was forced in when Henderson drew a walk.
A double at the top of the fourth and another double at the top of the fifth were catalysts for another two runs from the Titans, and Cal found itself in a three-run deficit, 4-1.
A fifth-inning rally started with another double by Cordes, who came in on an RBI triple from Henderson. The next batter in order, senior Victoria Jones, keyed another RBI triple to score Henderson, and then Jones scored on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Jasmin Mejia to tie the game up 4-4.
Henderson’s leadoff slam to right field at the bottom of the seventh sealed the win.
Cal used three pitchers in its win over the Titans, with closer Nisa Ontiveros (3-1) taking the victory in a 4.2-inning effort, allowing four hits, one earned run and two walks while striking out two. Sutherland-Finch (1.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 earned runs) and freshman Taylor Cotton (1 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk) also pitched.
Cal finishes up at the Campbell/Cartier Classic Sunday vs. St. Mary’s at 11 a.m.
