Cal Softball: Bears Swept by #10 Seminoles in Fifteen Innings

Cal was routed in a three game sweep by Florida State, with each game ending in the fifth by run-rule

TALLAHASSEE — The California Golden Bears (10-22, 1-8 ACC) headed Southeast for a series against the #10 Florida State Seminoles (28-4, 6-0 ACC) in Tallahassee, FL. Cal entered the weekend having picked up their first ACC win a week prior against North Carolina before dropping the final game against the Tarheels. Florida State meanwhile was the victor of fourteen straight games leading into the weekend thanks to dominant hitting and pitching from one of the best rosters in the country, and has remained within the top-10 since the preseason.

Friday, Game 1: Cal 2 - 12 FSU (5)
Kiki Mashhoud was given the starting nod from head coach Steve Singleton to kick off the first game in Florida. The sophomore right-hander returned to the circle after a couple of promising outings against UNC, during which she pitched through five innings and allowed only three runs to grab Cal’s first conference win. Florida State called on their top pitcher Jazzy Francik—who holds the third best ERA in the ACC—to start in the circle against the Bears.

The game began with an almost silent first inning, with both sides picking up singles from Cal third baseman Maddie Rey and FSU’s shortstop Isa Torres respectively. It would only take another inning before the scoring would begin. Florida State took a 2-0 lead in the second after first baseman Hayley Griggs picked up an RBI triple, followed by an RBI double by Torres. The Seminoles added three more in the following inning, going up 5-0 after designated player Shelby Mackenzie knocked a 3-run homer into deep center field. Cal stopped the bleeding at three runs on the next at-bat via fly out to right fielder Sophia Everett, however Mashhoud would not return for the fourth inning. On her first day in the circle in Tallahassee, Mashhoud threw 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 ER, and 1 BB, and was relieved by junior pitcher Tamya Waiters.

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In the top of the fourth, Cal clawed two runs back from the Seminoles thanks to a 2-run blast to deep center field by designated player Kyndal Todd. Unfortunately, the Bears had no chance to start rolling, as FSU quickly ended the inning. The Seminoles then poured on seven more in the following frame to give them a ten run lead. Torres began the scoring with an RBI triple, which marked her NCAA record breaking fourteenth consecutive hit in as many at-bats. Third baseman Jaysoni Beachum added another run to FSU’s total, scoring on an RBI ground out. Waiters was pulled from the circle a couple at-bats later after giving up an additional single and a walk. She ended her day with 0.1 IP, 2 H, and 3 ER. Her reliever Layna Gerhard didn’t fare much better; giving up five runs to a pair of home runs from left fielder Ashtyn Danley and designated player Shelby Mackenzie before being relieved by Taylor Peacock. Peacock quickly picked up the final two outs of the inning, with Florida State riding a 12-2 lead to the finish line. Gerhard ended her day at 0 IP, 3 H, and 3 ER, while Peacock finished her outing with 0.2 IP, 0 H, and 0 ER on 7 pitches.

Cal got 2 hits off 16 at-bats, with Maddie Rey recording a single and Kyndal Todd recording a 2-run home run. Rey also picked up a stolen base, while Emma Jackson was credited with an error. WP: Jazzy Francik (11-1) 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. LP: Kiki Mashhoud (2-4) 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB.

Saturday, Game 2: Cal 0 - 9 FSU (5)
Cal did not perform much better the following day, as the Seminoles shut out the Bears in the second game of the series. Freshman pitcher Mya McGowan took to the circle for the first time since the series finale against #20 Duke almost two weeks prior. Florida State’s batters had McGowan’s number from the very first at-bat, as Torres continued her hitting streak with a lead-off double. FSU picked up the majority of their scoring in the first, beginning just a few batters after Torres, with McKenzie knocking in an RBI single and Danley following it up with an RBI sacrifice fly. An additional five runs were added to the Seminoles’ tally from a 2-RBI double, a pair of RBI singles, and a run scored on a wild pitch. McGowan finished out the first inning, however she would not return for the second. The freshman pitcher ended her first game back having thrown 1.0 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, and 2 BB.

Cal threatened with a runner in scoring position in the second after Maddie Rey doubled into right center, however Florida State sat down the next three batters in order to strand her at second. Taylor Peacock took to the circle in relief for McGowan at the start of the second inning, and kept the Seminoles almost entirely silent for the rest of the game. Aside from two unearned runs in the second and fourth—one from an RBI single by catcher Bella Ruggerio and the other from an RBI double by Danley—Florida State had no answer for Peacock, who finished her day with 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, and 1 BB.

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The Golden Bears picked up 3 hits on 18 at-bats in Saturday’s contest, with left fielder Kayla Lee going 2-2 on a pair of singles, and Maddie Rey going 1-2 with a double. In the field, Cal turned a 6-4-3 double play in the bottom of the fourth, while D’Auna Johnson and Gator Robinson were each credited with errors. WP: Bella Dimitrijevic (6-2) 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. LP: Mya McGowan (3-7) 1.0 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 2 BB.

Sunday, Game 3: Cal 1 - 9 FSU (5)
In their final game of the series, the California bullpen again struggled against the dominant bats of Florida State. Kiki Mashhoud was again called upon to start for California, having played well in her first outing despite giving up five runs. Mashhoud started out the game on an upswing, ending Isa Torres’ hitting streak at sixteen with a ground out to second, and allowing just a single from the Seminoles in the first.

In the top of the second, Cal threatened to take their first lead of the game with only one out and runners on first and third. However, a fielder’s choice hit to FSU’s pitcher Ashtyn Danley by Sophia Everett would get Catcher Anya German caught between third and home, and ultimately tagged out. In the bottom of the same frame, FSU picked up a four run lead, scoring off a 2-run homer to center field by second baseman Marin Heller, an RBI bloop single from Beachum, and an RBI sacrifice fly from MacKenzie. The second inning was Mashhoud’s last in Tallahassee, ending her day with 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, and 3 BB.

Cal responded in the third, with Robinson kicking off the inning with a lead-off double. After Rey picked up a four pitch walk, Todd put one on the board for the Bears, hitting an RBI double down the right field line. German kept up the momentum by reaching first after taking one for the team, however a pitching change that brought Makenna Reid to the circle for Florida State spelled the end of Cal’s rally, leaving the score at 1-4 and stranding three. Mya McGowan returned to the circle in the third to relieve Kiki Mashhoud, and aside from an RBI sacrifice fly, wrapped up the inning without issue.

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In the bottom of the fourth, CF Kennedy Harp picked up an RBI single, and in the following at-bat C Anna Hinde homered into left, scoring three to put the Seminoles up 9-1 going into the fifth. The following frame, Bella Dimitrijevic was called in to close out the game. Dimitrijevic sat down all three Cal batters in order, ending the game by run-rule.

The Bears recorded 6 hits from 21 at-bats. Gator Robinson went 2-3 with a double, while Kyndal Todd and Anya German both picked up doubles of their own. Maddie Rey—who has been hot at the plate the past two weeks—hit a single in the top of the first, extending her streak to seven consecutive games with at least one hit. WP: Makenna Reid (3-1) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R. LP: Kiki Mashhoud (2-5) 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB.

Up Next:
The Golden Bears will be continuing their road games this week. First, the Bears will be playing in Columbus, OH on March 25th for a midweek double-header against Ohio State at 1pm PST and then Dayton at 3:30pm PST. Cal will then return to ACC playing on Friday, March 27th with a three game series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. All ACC games will be available to watch via the ACC network/ESPN+, and the double-header will be available via statcast, information for both can be found here, closer to first pitch. Go Bears!