No. 20 Cal Rallies Past Arizona State

TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 20 California softball team scored six runs in the fifth inning to rally past Arizona State and take the series opener, 11-7, on Friday night at Farrington Stadium.   

Elon Butler, Tianna Bell and Lagi Quiroga all homered for the Golden Bears (32-14, 6-11 Pac-12). Jordyn VanHook had two RBI for the Sun Devils (18-26, 2-17 Pac-12).

Arizona State jumped out to the early lead in the second inning, scoring three runs on three hits and three Cal errors. Looking for an immediate answer, the Bears battled back right away in the top of third, tying the game with a 3-run shot to dead center off the bat of Bell. The long ball was Bell's third in the last four games.  

Tied 3-3, ASU added a pair of solo home runs in the third off of Cal starter Haylei Archer and a 2-run double off of reliever, Ashanti McDade, in the fourth to make it a 7-3 game heading to the fifth inning.

The game turned in the fifth as the Bears got the bats going, exploding for six runs to take the lead. Butler's 2-run shot tied the game and back-to-back doubles from Kaylee Pond and Alyssa Herrera made it 8-7, Cal. Holly Medina's RBI plated the final run of the frame to give the Bears a 2-run lead.

Quiroga gave the Bears insurance in the seventh with a 2-run blast, her 12th of the season, to dead center to make the score 11-7.  Ryann Orange put up two scoreless frames in the sixth and the seventh to close the game and earn her first save.

UP NEXT
Cal and Arizona State meet for game two of the series on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. PT from Farrington Stadium.      

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