Cal Softball: Bears Struggle in Mary Nutter
Cal’s Day One Fireworks Falls Just a Bit Short Against Top Teams in Palm Springs
CATHEDRAL CITY – The California Golden Bears (5-11) looked to build from splitting their Silicon Valley Classic games 3-2 at the Mary Nutter Tournament in Cathedral City, CA. Before them were six opponents over a four day stretch, beginning with the UC San Diego Tritons, Fresno State Bulldogs, and the Nevada Wolf Pack in the first half, followed by #4 Oklahoma Sooners, Auburn Tigers, and #6 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Cal was in for some brutal trials, as all but one of their tournament opponents left Cathedral City with winning records.
*Note: Due to the number of games played, I’ll be condensing game recaps to a slightly less detailed format*
Game 1 – Thursday, 2/19/26 – Cal 14 - UCSD 1 W(5)
First to take on the Bears was one of the top teams in the Big West conference: UC San Diego. The Tritons entered the game 10-2, having won their previous seven straight with dominant hitting. California however didn’t flinch against their fellow UC, and quickly turned the game into a rout. Kayli Counts began the first inning taking a five pitch walk, and was brought home on the next at-bat from an Anaya Togia double to right center. Another at-bat later, Carly Raven turned on a pitch and fired a two run homer (her first of the season) over the right field fence to give Cal a 3-0 lead they would never look back from.
Mya McGowan (3-2) was called on first by Coach Singleton, and took to the circle at the bottom of the frame. McGowan then delivered a stunning five pitch first inning to put the Tritons away and maintain Cal’s lead. California went hitless in the second, and UCSD began to threaten after scoring a run off a fielding error. However after a batter bunted their way to first on a fielder’s choice, the Bears picked up a pair of outs at home when two Tritons baserunners tried to test how close Cal’s defense was paying attention.
From there, California piled on the runs, scoring on an Anya German three run home run, a Maddie Rey RBI single, and a 2-RBI double from Counts to extend their lead to 9-1 in the third. In the bottom of the same frame, McGowan was relieved by Layna Gerhard, who would finish the final three innings allowing only one hit. McGowan ended her day with 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, and 1 K. Two frames later, the Bears added five more from a 2-run homer off the bat of Kyndal Todd, an RBI single from Togia, a run scored on a fielding error by Counts, and an RBI single from Anya German. Gerhard finished the fifth inning with a strike out, ending the game by run-rule for Cal for the first time this season. WP: Layna Gerhard (1-0) 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks.
Game 2 & 3 - Friday, 2/20/26 – Cal 4 - Fresno State 5 L / Cal 3 - Nevada 8 L
The second day of the Mary Nutter brought the Bears before two Mountain West opponents: Fresno State and Nevada. Much like the day prior, Cal raced out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a Carly Raven 2-run homer. However Fresno State gained the lead 3-2 off a solo home run followed by a 2-run homer in the bottom of the frame. A 2-RBI single in the bottom of the third would give Fresno enough of a lead to outlast Cal’s last minute two-out rally in the seventh, that picked up two runs off a pair of RBI singles from Anya German and D’auna Johnson.
Kiki Mashoud (1-2) was assigned the loss against Fresno State after ending her start with 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, and 1 K. Taylor Peacock entered the circle in relief and kept the Bulldogs’ bats silent after the third inning. Peacock finished the game having pitched through four innings and having given up 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, and 1 K.
Cal’s luck didn’t improve against their second game of the day against Nevada. Mya McGowan returned to the circle for her second start in the tournament. Unfortunately, McGowan struggled against the Wolf Pack, who took a quick 5-0 lead against the Bears in the bottom of the first off a pair of back-to-back RBI doubles, followed by a 3-RBI home run to left field. In the bottom of the second inning, Nevada added another three runs to the board with a bases loaded walk, and a subsequent fielding error picked up another two. Midway through the second, McGowan was pulled after 1.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 1 BB, and 1 K.
The Bears’ pitching and defense kept Nevada from scoring anymore runs after that, with Waiters finishing out the second inning with .2 IP, 2 BB, and 1 K before being relieved by Layna Gerhard in the third. Gerhard continued to keeo the Wolf Pack silent, and Cal cut into the deficit with a 2-RBI double off the bat of Gator Robinson in the fourth inning. Much like the previous game against Fresno State however, Nevada hung on to win. The Bears attempted a two-out rally in the top of the seventh, getting a run from a bases loaded walk, however a fly ball four pitches later ended the game 8-5 in favor of Nevada. Gerhard finished the game with 4 IP, 5 H, and 2Ks. LP: Mya McGowan was assigned her third loss of the season with 1.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 1 BB, and 1 K.
Game 4 – Saturday, 2/21/2026 – Cal 5 - #4 Oklahoma 7 L
With the first half of the Mary Nutter over, The California Golden Bears entered into a brutal gauntlet of a second half. Over Saturday and Sunday, they faced two top-10 teams along with another opponent sitting just barely outside the top-25. First up was none other than the team who had sent Cal home at the regional finals in 2025: #4 Oklahoma. Despite Oklahoma being a daunting, high caliber team, starting pitcher Tamya Waiters was ready for the pressure thanks to her trust in herself and her teammates. “I always tell myself–and even my teammates– to just trust each other,” the junior transfer from Houston explained. “Just remember your past performances, and all the training you’ve put into this sport.”
It took Waiters a moment to find her groove, allowing the first two batters she faced to hit a pair of singles. Fortunately, she quickly settled in after that and struck out the next two batters consecutively. “[The strikeouts] built confidence,” Tamya said, reflecting on that first inning. “It helps my teammates trust in me, and for me to throw without any fear.” The Bears didn’t escape the first unscathed, as a single on the next at bat scored a run from third. However, an attempt to pick up a second run early by Oklahoma would end the top of the inning thanks to outfielder Kayla Lee, who threw a well placed ball into catcher Natalie Marshall’s glove in time to apply the tag out at the plate. 1-0 Oklahoma.
In the bottom of the second, Cal flipped the script on the Sooners thanks to an inning of clutch offense. Maddie Rey kicked things off with a single, and reached second on a passed ball a couple pitches later. Lee then singled through the left side, putting runners at the corners. Kayli Counts and Carly Raven each notched back-to-back RBI singles into right field, bringing home Rey and Lee to give the Bears their first lead of the game 2-1.
Meanwhile, Tamya Waiters was keeping the Sooners uncharacteristically silent, throwing another pair of strikeouts in the top of the third. “I aim to keep hitters off balance,” she said when describing her pitching style. “Like, throwing my hard stuff to the side, and then using my change up and its velocity to keep hitters guessing.” Oklahoma’s batters were certainly guessing, as Waiters kept them completely silent through five innings aside from an unearned run off a fielding error in the fourth. In that time, Cal built up a bigger lead over Oklahoma. On the first at bat in the bottom of the third, Kyndal Todd knocked her fourth home run of the season over the fence in center field. Two at bats later, Gator Robinson would also go yard, giving the Bears the impressive 4-2 lead they took all the way to the sixth inning.
Despite Cal holding up exhilaratingly against a top-5 team, in the sixth inning, Oklahoma battled back. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases (one of which came on a controversial call that readers can view for themselves here), and a subsequent walk cut the Bears’ lead to one. The third run to cross the plate would also end Waiter’s performance in the circle. “I think they were starting to make harder contact with the ball,” said Waiters. “And when they were making contact, it was when they had people on base. The timing just worked out for them.” Tamya would end her day with 5 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, and 4 Ks.
Taylor Peacock relieved Waiters, stopping the bleeding as best she could. However Oklahoma would end the sixth having washed away Cal’s lead, replacing it with a 7-4 lead of their own. After completing the sixth, Peacock was relieved by Mya McGowan (who closed out the game) after pitching 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, and 1 BB.
The Bears fought to pull even in the final two frames, and they even scored one back early in the bottom of the seventh off Carly Raven’s third home run of the tournament. But the Sooners retired the side and the game, handing Cal a devastatingly close loss as their third of the Mary Nutter. LP: Tamya Waiters (0-2) 5 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Game 5 – Sunday, 2/22/2026 – Cal 5 - Auburn 19 L(5)
Cal softball would reach an absolute low point going up against their second SEC opponent: Auburn. Both sides of the plate experienced critical failures, allowing the Tigers to run-rule the Bears in five innings (the third time that has happened this season). Mya McGowan got the starting nod from Coach Singleton, and took to the circle for her third and final start of the tournament. Unfortunately, McGowan didn’t make it through the first inning, having only faced five batters and giving up three walks, a 2-run homer, and a 3-run homer before being pulled. McGowan ended her day with 0 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, and Kiki Mashoud came in relief to prevent any further damage from being done. Mashoud kept Auburn quiet through the second, giving Cal a chance to claw one run back in the bottom of the second when Kayla Lee got walked with the bases loaded.
The Tigers opened the floodgates again in the top of the third, scoring first on a solo shot to right center. The third saw three different Cal pitchers in the circle: Mashoud, Taylor Peacock, and Layna Gerhard. The solo home run ended Mashoud’s day in the circle with 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, and 1 BB, and Peacock was called for in relief, going 0.1 IP with 2 H, 5 R, 4 ER, and 1 BB before being relieved by Gerhard, who finished the inning. All told, Cal gave up nine runs, giving Auburn a 14-1 lead after three. Midway through the fourth, Gerhard was pulled from the game with 1 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 5 ER, and 2 BB. Infielder Anaya Togia was called on to make her first ever collegiate appearance in the circle to relieve Gerhard. Togia kept Auburn silent the rest of the game, throwing 1.2 innings without allowing a single hit and serving up two strikeouts along the way.
The Bears picked up a second run in the bottom of the third thanks to another Gator Robinson home run, however the Tigers put up another four from a pair of 2-run homers, putting the score at 19-2. In the bottom of the fourth, Kayli Counts hit an RBI ground out to bring home Cal’s third run, and in the final frame pinch hitter Sophia Everett recorded her first hit of the season with an RBI triple hit down the right field line. Anaya Togia brought Everett home on a sacrifice fly, putting the score at 19-5. A ground out and a strike out after that ended Cal’s day as the run-rule was enforced. LP: Mya McGowan (3-4) was assigned the loss with 0 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB.
Game 6 – Sunday 2/22/2026 – Cal 0 - #6 Nebraska 6 L
The final game for Cal in the Mary Nutter brought Tamya Waiters back to starting in front of a top-10 team. As she did with Oklahoma, she rose to the occasion against Nebraska. “I wouldn’t say I get nervous,” Waiters said while discussing pressure when facing top tier teams. “I get very competitive when we get to face them. To show that we can compete and hang with those same teams.” For the second time in as many days, Tamya put on a show. Through five innings against the #6 team in the country, Waiters allowed just four hits, a single run off an RBI double in the fourth, and sat down two on strikes. Unfortunately, the bats of the Golden Bears couldn’t seem to get hot when necessary, and Cal was kept off the board for the first time this season.
Nebraska finally found some rhythm on offense in the sixth with one out down and the bases loaded. Waiters gave up a grand slam to the Cornhuskers, breaking open the lead for Nebraska at 5-0. The blow would be enough for Coach Singleton to call in Taylor Peacock to relieve Waiters, ending her outing with 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, and 2 Ks. Peacock allowed one run to score in the sixth off an RBI single, but otherwise maintained the status quo of keeping Nebraska’s bats silent with 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, and 1 ER. Cal ended the game quietly having put up four hits and striking out eleven times. “It was a hard loss to take,” Waiters reflected. “Of course we wanted to come out victorious. But I’m still proud of what we were able to accomplish, and I hope it feeds into how we play the teams next weekend.” LP: Tamya Waiters (0-3) 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 2 K.
In Review
Despite going 1-5 in the Mary Nutter, there are still pieces from the Bears’ weekend in Palm Springs to hold some optimism for. As mentioned previously, Cal held its own against two top-10 teams and made both of them sweat late into the game. Additionally, the Bears picked up their first five inning win by run-rule after some electrifying offensive output. Home run output has been steadily climbing, as our reigning home run queen Kyndal Todd is now at four on the season, with Gator Robinson and newcomer to the home run leaderboard Carly Raven both have gone yard three times. Even in fielding, we saw Cal’s fielders crack down on aggressive baserunners, most notably Natalie Marshall keeping home plate secure in the first inning against Oklahoma.
Even with the five game backslide, there are some impressive elements to this Golden Bears team. Tamya Waiters put it best when she spoke with me a little while after the tournament, saying, “I’m looking forward to our team having an outing where we’re firing on all cylinders. Where our hitting is on, our pitching is on, and our fielding is on. Because I think when we do that, we’re a hard team to beat.” I’m inclined to agree.
Usually, here is where I would shout out some players who had impressive outings in last week’s games. However, this week I asked Waiters if she had anyone she wanted to shout out for their play in the Mary Nutter, and she had three. First, shortstop Gator Robinson, for being an amazing and reliable fielder, and for taking off with her bat throughout the entire Mary Nutter Tournament. Second, DP Carly Raven, for breaking out massively in the Mary Nutter at the plate, making great contact with the ball, and picking up three home runs in four days. And third, catcher Natalie Marshall, for coming off an injury and making an immediate impact getting hits as a batter and making some great defensive plays from behind the plate.
What’s Next?
With another Mary Nutter Tournament in the books, Cal softball’s non-conference tournament play is just about wrapped up. This weekend, the Golden Bears will be traveling down south again for their final tournament before conference play; the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, CA. California will look to regain some of the ground they lost at the Mary Nutter when facing six teams: the BYU Cougars, #4 Florida Gators, Seattle University Redhawks, Oregon State Beavers, CSU Fullerton Titans, and East Texas A&M Lions.
The following week, Cal jumps right into conference play with the home opener series against #21 Duke beginning on Friday, March 6th at 2pm at Shea Stadium (Sacramento State) in Sacramento, CA. Tickets are on sale via Sacramento State’s website. Go Bears!