MORAGA, Calif. – The California softball (29-14) earned a doubleheader sweep against Saint Mary's (19-20) on Tuesday at Cottrell Field.
Elon Butler led the way in game one after recording two home runs, while
Miranda De Nava collected a career-high nine strikeouts in the second game of the day.
Game 1: Cal – 11 | Saint Mary's – 2
Elon Butler launched a solo home run to give the Bears an early lead after one inning of action, while
Anna Reimers collected two strikeouts in the frame.
In the second inning,
Kaylee Pond recorded her second home run of the season as Cal took a 2-0 advantage.
In her second appearance at the plate, Butler drilled her second home run of the game and ninth of the season, marking the third multi-home run game of her career, to extend the Bears lead to 3-0.
The Gaels put two runs on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, highlighted by an RBI double from Braxton Brown to cut their deficit to 3-2.
Lagi Quiroga found the sweet spot as she hit her 10th home run of the season to straight-away center field in the fifth inning.
Acacia Anders followed up later in the frame with an RBI double, her team-leading 14th double of the season. Anders found her way across home plate in the inning to give the Bears a 6-2 advantage.
Butler tallied her third hit with a base hit to tack on another run in the sixth inning.
Cal added four runs in the seventh inning as Quiroga lined a base hit up the middle to score two base runners as the Bears earned an 11-2 victory.
Reimers recorded her sixth win of the season after pitching a complete game with five strikeouts and surrendering three hits.
Game 2: Cal – 8 | Saint Mary's – 4
After scoring a run to start the game, the Gaels responded in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead.
Acacia Anders got the game-tying run across home plate after executing a sacrifice fly.
The Bears used a four-run fifth inning to take a 6-2 lead. After an RBI double from
Tianna Bell,
Holly Medina dropped a base hit to left field to score a base runner. An additional three base runners scored, including Medina, after a costly error by the Gaels on the play.
Despite giving up a pair of runs early,
Miranda De Nava held the Gaels hitless until the fifth inning.
Saint Mary's gained momentum in the bottom of the sixth inning after a pair of home runs to cut its deficit to 6-4.
Bell recorded her second hit of the game with a two-RBI double to give the Bears an 8-4 advantage.
Da Nava closed out the game after retiring the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to earn her team-leading 10th win of the season with a career-high nine strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Cal will head to the Farm for a three-game series against Stanford beginning on Thursday. It will mark the first matchup between the two teams since joining the ACC.
STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal softball, please follow the Bears on X (CalSB), Instagram (CalSB) and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalSoftball).
