March 11, 2012

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Final Stats | Postgame Video Interview With Cordes

Score: No. 1/2 Cal 8, Fresno State 5
Site: Bulldog Diamond - Fresno, Calif.
Records: Cal 21-0, Fresno State 15-9
Cal Leaders: Breana Kostreba (2 H, 3 RBI, 1 HR); Cheyenne Cordes (2 H, 3 RBI, 1 HR)
Next Cal Game: March 14 vs. No. 21 Texas A&M (1 p.m.)

FRESNO, Calif. - The No. 1/2 California softball team closed out its weekend in Fresno by defeating the host team Fresno State on its home turf of Bulldog Diamond by a score of 8-5 on Sunday afternoon.

It was all about the staying inside just inside the lines in the top of the first with three different Bears singling down the right or left-field lines to drive in two runs. A pair of homeruns - a two-run blast by Breana Kostreba and a solo shot from Cheyenne Cordes - put the Bears up 5-0 in the top of the third.

A Fresno State double in the fourth gave the Bulldogs their first run of the game. Valerie Arioto plated one and Cheyenne Cordes tallied a two-RBI single to push Cal ahead 8-1 in the top of the sixth. Fresno State tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the seventh but it was not enough.

Top of the First - Cal 2, Fresno State 0:

Valerie Arioto drove the ball down the left-field line for a single and scored from first when Jace Williams doubled down the other line. Breana Kostreba put the ball just fair in left, driving in Williams.

Breana Kostreba sent out her third homerun of the year with a two-run shot to left-center field. Cheyenne Cordes followed suit with a high-flying solo shot to left.

Bottom of the Fourth - Cal 5, Fresno State 1:

Andrea Ortega walked and scored when Michelle Solomon doubled to left.

Top of the Sixth - Cal 8, Fresno State 1:

Jamia Reid notched a hard-hit single to short, stole second and came home when Arioto yoked the ball into left. Jace Williams waited out a walk and Kostreba took a shot to the elbow, juicing the bases for Cheyenne Cordes, who laced a single to plate Williams and LaRisa Jones, who was pinch running for Arioto.

Bottom of the Seventh - Cal 8, Fresno State 5:

Solomon walked, was replaced by Rebecca Hall as a pinch runner. Hall moved to second on a Maria Sio single and scored when Brooke Ortiz singled to second. Lead-off batter Brenna Moss tripled to right center, plating Ortiz and Sio. A suicide squeeze by Stesha Brazil scored Moss.

Next Time on the Diamond:

The Bears hit the tropics for a week in Honolulu at Hawaii's Chevron Spring Fling. Things get underway with a March 14 game against No. 21 Texas A&M at 1 p.m. March 15 will see a doubleheader of No. 6 Texas (6 p.m.) and No. 19 Hawaii (8:30 p.m.). Marist is the sole opponent for March 16 (1 p.m.) before the Bears close their time in paradise March 17 versus Marist (3:30 p.m.). All times Pacific.