Cal Pulls Away Late from Softball in Pitchers' Duel, 4-1

Friday, March 4

San Diego, CA (SDSU)

7 PM ET

Boston University

5-9

California

14-3

Boston Univ.

California

Lizzy Avery is in the middle of her pitching windup toward home plate.

Photo by: Dawson Powers

Cal Pulls Away Late from Softball in Pitchers' Duel, 4-1

March 4, 2022 | Softball

Box Score Box Score San Diego Classic Central

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – After being held scoreless through five innings, Pac-12 member California pulled away in the sixth to defeat the Boston University softball team, 4-1, on Friday evening in the San Diego Classic opener at SDSU Softball Stadium.

With their eighth straight win, the Golden Bears improve to 14-3, while the Terriers drop to 5-9 with a 2-6 record against Power Five schools.

Junior Lizzy Avery (3-5) battled Sona Halajian (8-0) in the pitchers' duel until Halajian broke open the game with her one-out homer. Cal later added a two-out, two-RBI double against junior Allison Boaz for insurance. Sophomore and reigning Patriot League Player of the Week Kayla Roncin led the offense by batting 2-of-3 with a double and run scored on senior Nicole Amodio's seventh-inning RBI single.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Cal led off the first with a single and advanced the runner to second on a wild pitch with one out before Avery ended the threat with a line out and swinging strikeout against Halajian.
The Golden Bears had a runner reach base each of the next four innings, but Avery and the defense kept them at bay, highlighted by a 1-6-3 double play in the second.
Roncin broke up Halajian's no-hit bid in the fourth with a two-out single and took second on Amodio's walk before Cal earned a line out to left.
The Golden Bears earned a pair of two-out singles in the fifth but also line out to left to keep the game scoreless entering the sixth.
Cal scored four runs off four hits and three walks against Avery and Boaz in the sixth.
Roncin started the seventh with a lead-off double to left center and eventually scored on Amodio's single up the middle, but the Terriers' rally was halted by a game-ending 5-4-3 double play.

GAME NOTES

The game was delayed four hours by rain, so as a result, BU's scheduled game against San Diego State was postponed.
Roncin increased her batting average to .395, while Amodio earned her team-leading 14 RBI.
BU dropped to 0-3 all-time against Cal in the first meeting since the Golden Bears eliminated the Terriers in the 2012 NCAA Regionals as the national No. 1 seed.

UP NEXT

BU will next visit UC San Diego on Saturday (March 5) with the first game against Utah State set for 2 p.m. ET.
The Terriers will then face the host Tritons at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.