No. 3 Georgia Ends Cal’s 14-Game Softball Win Streak
No. 20 Cal had its 14-game winning streak halted, but the Bears certainly did not embarrass themselves in a 4-2 loss to third-ranked Georgia Friday morning in the DeMarini Invitational softball event at Stanford.
Georgia’s two-out, three-run, first-inning rally turned out to be key moment in the game. Cal (16-2) is scheduled to face Georgia again on Saturday, and the Bears are slated for a second game Saturday, against Boise State.
Georgia improved to 14-1, including wins over four nationally ranked teams – Wisconsin, Florida State, UCLA and Virginia Tech. Its only loss was against Virginia Tech, and that defeat was avenged a day later.
Cal’s Elon Butler continued her hot start to the season by going 2-for-2 on Friday, improving her batting average to .465, and catcher Lagi Quiroga drove in both of Cal’s runs. But it was not enough to offset Georgia’s first-inning rally.
Randi Roelling pitched all six innings for visiting Cal, and she allowed four earned runs on eight hits. But it was the five walks she issued that turned out to be decisive.
After Cal went scoreless in the top of the first inning, Roelling got the first two Georgia batters in the bottom on the inning on a popout and strikeout. However, she walked the next two batters, and Sydney Chambley followed with a two-run double, and Sara Mosley drove in Chambley with a single.
Those three runs turned out to be all the scoring Georgia needed.
Cal scored a run in the top of the first on a fielder’s choice, and Georgia made it 4-1 on a fielder’s choice RBI in the bottom of the third. Quiroga doubled in a run in the fourth to make it 4-2, but that was the last of the scoring.
Cal had two runners on base with one out in the sixth but was unable to score, and Tatum Anzaldo’s two-single in the seventh was the Bears’ only other hint of a rally.
Roelling's record slipped to 6-2, while Lili Backes pitches the final five innings and got the win to improve to 5-0.
Cover photo of Elon Butler courtesy of Cal Athletics
Follow Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport