Cal needs sweep to advance
California University pitcher Meghan Uher tags Charleston’s Rachelle Toppings out at home plate to end the fourth inning of their game Saturday. Toppings had attempted to score from third on a wild pitch.
California University’s Alex Sagl delivers a pitch during the Vulcans’ game against Charleston (W.Va.) Saturday in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. The Vulcans must beat Charleston twice today to advance.
CALIFORNIA – After dropping a 5-2 decision in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional to Charleston earlier in the day, California University’s softball team was ready to pull out all stops in the losers’ bracket finals.
California head coach Rick Bertagnolli left no stone unturned and the Vulcans sent 15 batters to the plate in the fourth inning Saturday, scoring nine runs, to defeat the Golden Knights, 13-4, in five innings and advance to the regional finals at Lilley Field.
The game featured four pitching changes by Bertagnolli – some in mid-count – and a bizzare injury timeout, as the Vulcans (37-11) defeated PSAC rival Gannon (29-16) for the sixth time in eight meetings this season.
Standing in California’s way of next week’s super regional is Charleston (40-12), which ran its record to 7-1 against PSAC teams with a victory over Gannon Friday and Saturday’s win over Cal. The Vulcans must defeat the Golden Eagles twice, while Charleston needs only one win to advance. First pitch is at 1 p.m.
“We’re doing it the tough way, that’s for sure,” said Bertagnolli. “Fans are getting their money’s worth.”
Bertagnolli made sure of that against Gannon when he pulled starting pitcher Alex Sagl just five batters into the game. The junior allowed a two-run home run to Katie Dunn and had a 1-1 count on Jen Moran when Bertagnolli went to Haley Bashada.
“The location of the pitches, the speed, the movement that you’re used to seeing because you work with them all year, it was there for a little bit and then it just fell off,” Bertagnolli said. “We’ve got a good pitching staff, and as you see, we’re not afraid to go with it. Those guys are mature enough to have been in these situations. Even though this is the national tournament, they came in and did their best for as long as they could.”
Bashada induced a weak popup to short to end the inning and pitched into the third before she ran into trouble.
With Cal leading 4-2 on the strength of a three-run homer by Jacquelyn Fowler, her eighth of the season, in a four-run bottom of the first, Bashada gave up a two-run homer to Gannon leadoff hitter Jess Rechtenwald in the third.
After No. 2 hitter Jackie Martinez singled, Bertagnolli made another pitching change, this time going to Meghan Uher, who got out of the inning without further damage.
Gannon again opened the top of the fourth with a threat, loading the bases with one out on a pair of walks sandwiched around a single. But Bertagnolli brought Sagl back into the game and she struck out Martinez and got Alyssa Bates, who singled off of her in the first inning, to ground out to shortstop and keep the game tied at 4-4.
That’s when California’s bats came alive.
Nos. 8 and 9 hitters Megan Jahoda and Erica Vallecorsa hit back-to-back doubles and Kaity Finley had an infield single to load the bases before Emily Price hit a two-run double to break the tie.
A walk to Lindsay Reicoff loaded the bases again, and Shelby Hyde hit into a run-scoring fielder’s choice before Natalya Smarra’s RBI single put California ahead, 9-4.
That should have brought Fowler back to the plate. But the freshman outfielder was too busy in the dugout trying to control a bloody nose.
“I just get them when weather changes and it was really hot today,” said Fowler. “I used to get them when I was little, so I wasn’t alarmed or anything.
“It started two batters before I got up there, and I couldn’t get it stopped.”
Bertagnolli called for an injury timeout and watched intently as trainers tried to get the blood stopped, finally shoving some tissue in Fowler’s nostril and sending her to the plate.
Fowler, who was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the loss to Charleston after a pair of strikeouts, picked up her third hit of the game and fourth RBI. But the blood began to flow freely again when she reached first base and she was pulled for a pinch-runner.
“When you’re down like that, you’ve got to think, ‘I’m not helping the team out when I’m not hitting,'” Fowler said of her midset after being pinch-hit for against Charleston. “I focused in and said, ‘I’ve got to hit.’
“We’ve had so many people get hurt. And even if you do get pulled, you have to go in the next opportunity and get back up. You’ve just to focus and not let it get to you. You can’t let Coach B get to you.”
By the time the inning finally ended, California scored nine runs and set the mercy rule into effect.
Sagl then got the final three outs send the Vulcans into the championship round.
To get past Charleston, California will have to Golden Eagles pitcher Courtney Fain, who overcame seven walks by allowing just three hits and striking out nine against the Vulcans.
Bethany Williams and pich-hitter Alyana Carlson each hit home runs for Charleston to drive in four of the five runs. Reicoff hit a two-run homer in the first inning before being intentionally walked in her next three plate appearances.
“She threw a three-hitter against us – that’s just a good job,” Bertagnolli said. “And they hit all the mistakes we made. We had our opportunities and didn’t come through. They seized the moment, but tomorrow’s another day.”