Freshman Tianna Bell and Elon Butler earn the starting job at 3B and SS.

Archer in the circle against USD

Where did you find that starting lineup? The Live Stats has UC Berkeley but no lineups or game action, yet.

The start of an incredible career here at Cal.

BOOM! 💥@tiannabell_ crushes a 2-run moonshot over the left field fence in her first collegiate at-bat.

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— Cal Softball (@CalSB) February 10, 2023

FAB FRESHMEN! 💥

EB follows with a 3-run bomb to right and it's a five-run first for the Bears!

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— Cal Softball (@CalSB) February 10, 2023

CalFanatic: Thanks for the play-by-play! Incredible kickoff HRs for the two freshmen to begin the 2023 season!
The Live Stats is not operational. It is still stuck with Elon Butler at the plate at 4:07 pm. I'm surprised that Mika Lee won the starting left field job. She hardly played last year while many experienced Bears have returned.

CF-Tianna Bell hits right-handed, correct. How about Elon Butler? Is she a lefty since she homered to RF?
GO BEARS!

I just checked and I believe live stats is now up and running, FYI.

http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=459130

LS frozen, again. Haylei Archer appears to have her sinker (drop) working because the USD hitters are hitting the ball on the ground. Infield defense has been solid so far.

Butler hits righty. Sona just went yard, too. 10-0.

Seems to be a delay in stats. LMU game will be on WCC network.

https://wccsports.com/index.aspx

Cal-LMU Game ^

What a BEAUTIFUL bunt single by Anders. Bases loaded no outs for Cal in the 1st. Rally brewing.

Aggressive base running by the bears scores TWO on a passed ball. No outs still!

Watch HERE

Up 3-0 against LMU

We like batting around in the 1st! 5-0 Cal on the Lee single

Fun fact. LMU's ace- Jenna Perez- is the sister of former Cal lefty Alexandra Perez.

Freeman seems to have a solid game plan with Sona. Throw very hard and inside. Regardless of the batter being lefty or righty.

LMU having timing issues with the strategy early on.

LMU with a leadoff double but Sona strikes out 3, 4 and 5 in the lineup.

5-0 going into the 5th

Sona has a pretty nice riseball to her repettoir I see.

Things have fallen off a bit for Sona here in the 6th. Back to back home runs for LMU and both hit very hard. Still 8-4 Cal.

two run double off the center field fence by Tatum Anzaldo in the top of the 7th yo make it 10-5 going to the bottom of the 7th. Sona tryin to close it out now...

10-7 win. So much to like about the offense- aggressive hitting and base running, executing pinch hitting, producing runs via home run and small ball...

Pitching looked good for 10 innings of play today. Now the last two...

Big test tomorrow against Fullerton

I watched the game tonight and Sona Halajian got hit hard in the last three innings. Why did they not bring in a relief pitcher (six pitchers) to stop the bleeding.

LMU is likely a tourney team. My thought process is they had to secure the W…and felt Sona was the best option to get that. Struggling or not.

I wonder who throws against Fullerton. They are also a likely tournament team.

LMU and BYU tied as favorites to win the WCC according to the coach's poll. So, a nice win!!
Fullerton picked to win the Big West Conference.

Schroeder71 said:

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I watched the game tonight and Sona Halajian got hit hard in the last three innings. Why did they not bring in a relief pitcher (six pitchers) to stop the bleeding.

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Early in the season and we had an "insurmountable" lead. I was hoping and agree with keeping her in there so she can grow and let her finish out the game. Pitchers need to work through adversity to grow.

CF-I would speculate that Chelsea Spencer might go with Haylei Archer in the 12 noon game today. Then she could use the two freshmen and two sophs to pitch the USD & Utah State games. Sona Halajian can pitch the second CSF game tomorrow.
btw-I believe that I saw Oklahoma State transfer Kaylee Pond (injured) behind home plate filming Halajian pitch.

She had ACL surgery in December.

Imagine if Cal had Kaylee Pond batting in the eighth spot in the batting order. She's a left-handed hitter and can play 3B, 1B or corner OF spots. GO BEARS!

I just got ESPN+ to work. I missed CSF's run on two hits off of Teperson.

Yeah, bummer about Pond. I believe it's her second ACL surgery.

Have to get those bats going. UCLA didn't do much against Fullerton the other night.

Why did Tatum Anzaldo bunt with two outs and a runner in scoring position? She is 1st team all-Pac12. She is one of the top couple hitters on the team. This pitcher, Rainey, is a transfer from Idaho State yet Cal cannot seem to produce offense against her. Makena Smith almost squared one up for a HR but other than that the team's very quiet.

Bears would have tied the game with a single to center by Tianna Bell. However, Diamond Holland was called out for leaving early after easily stealing second base. No replay available.

Anzaldo has many, many times executed that play. Probably watched her drop the bunt for a single at least 5 times last year. Including to help us beat #7 Washington in game 3 of the series.

If you ever attended games, you'd know this

I watch the games but this is part of softball that I don't appreciate.

Teperson is another ground ball pitcher. She doesn't strike batters out but keeps the ball in the park. The Bears need to score off the Titan's #3 starter. After five innings, the P12 offense has produced two singles and one walk.

This is probably the last time through the top of the Bear's batting order in the sixth inning. Sona Halajian is available as a pinch hitter, too. Sophie Medellin hits three run HR with two outs! Yesterday she roped a double into the left-field corner. She should maybe be in the starting lineup because she can hit. Maybe as the DH or LF.

Previous batter, Tianna Bell, struck out on three low, outside pitches. I'm not sure that she can go to rightfield. She appears to be a dead pull hitter. I have noticed that Spencer has pinch hit two days in a row for Elon Buter in clutch situations w/ Medellin.

Chelsea Spencer seems to know her personnel. GO BEARS!

Sophie with the pinch hit bomb!!

Yikes. Errors…errors…errors. 4-3 Cal with wining run on base for Fullerton. One more out to go, bears!

Done!!

4-3 Final

Go Bears!!!

Bears win! Solid win against another NCAA tournament team. Ugly 7th but…we'll take it.

Haylei Archer got four consecutive grounds balls in the B7th but the infield defense totally shaky. Only 2B Saiki made a play while Elon Butler booted an easy ground ball right next to second base and Tianna Bell could not make a play on two choppers to third. The official scorer gave an infield hit on the first and an E5 on the second. Archer decided to take matters into her own hands and struck out the final batter of the game!
FINAL: Bears 4, Titans 3.