NCAA softball: Arioto's homer propels Cal past Washington

Opposing teams have found a foolproof way in recent weeks to stop Cal softball slugger Valerie Arioto. They walk her.

Conference rival Washington decided to pitch to the Pac-12 Player of the Year in the NCAA super regionals on Saturday night, and Arioto blasted a two-run homer in the first inning that propelled the Bears to a 5-0 victory before a capacity crowd of 1,117 at Levine-Fricke Field.

The top-seeded Bears (55-5) are now one victory away from their 12th trip to the College World Series. Cal and UW (39-18) meet again Sunday at 4 p.m., with a third game, if necessary, at 6:30 p.m. The Huskies must win twice to earn the berth to the CWS in Oklahoma City. The series begins Thursday.

The Huskies battled Cal in three tight ballgames here early in the Pac-12 season, losing by a combined margin of five runs. This one wasn't close.

Senior Jolene Henderson (35-2) struck out 11 and allowed just four hits while posting her 16th shutout of the season. She escaped her only real jam by starting an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the fifth.

Arioto, who has set a Cal single-season record for home runs, had not homered in seven previous games, including five Berkeley regional contests last weekend. Over the previous 14 games, she had just two homers -- and 27 walks.

The 16th-seeded Huskies, who won three times via shutout at the Seattle regional, got brave in the first inning and paid for it.

Britt Vonk reached

first on a perfectly placed bunt with one out, and the Huskies decided to have Kaitlin Inglesby pitch to Arioto, who was walked 13 times in the Berkeley regional.

Big mistake. The senior from Pleasanton launched a high home run beyond the center field bleachers, giving the Bears a 2-0 lead. It was her 23rd homer of the season and the 54th of her career -- one shy of Veronica Nelson's nine-year-old school record.

Two batters later, senior Jace Williams made it 3-0 with another home run to center, her seventh of the season.

The Bears nearly registered their third homer of the game in the second inning, but UW center fielder Jerrin Fa'asua reached above the fence to pull back Danielle Henderson's drive. In the sixth, Victoria Jones missed a home run by inches, doubling off the top of the fence in center.

Cal scored twice without a hit in the fourth, pushing its lead to 5-0.

Breana Kostreba was hit by a pitch to open the inning then replaced by pinch-runner Elia Reid. Henderson's sacrifice bunt sent Reid to second, and a passed ball sent her to third.

Jones walked and stole second before Cheyenne Cordes plated Reid on a fielder's choice grounder to short. Jamia Reid then grounded out to second, scoring Jones.

sunday's games at berkeley
Cal vs. Washington, 4 p.m.
Cal vs. Washington, 6:30 p.m., if necessary

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