Cal Softball Picks Up Morale-Boosting Wins at Silicon Valley Classic
Offense and Pitching Stabilize in Cal’s Second Preseason Tournament, with Mary Nutter on the Horizon
SANTA CLARA - A chilly winter weekend with the constant threat of rain in the south bay was not enough to deter the California Golden Bears (4-6) from taking the hour long bus ride to and from Santa Clara for their second tournament of the season. Fortunately this time around–unlike the previous south bay tournament they participated in–Cal was able to leave Santa Clara with more wins than losses.
Friday, 2/13/26, Utah, 7-2 L
Tamya Waiters received the starting nod from Coach Singleton, and began the Silicon Valley Classic by pitching Utah’s lead off batter into a ground out. After that however, things got messy for the junior transfer from Houston. Waiters walked the second batter of the inning, hit the third with a pitch, and walked the fourth to juice the bases with only one out before giving up a single into left that saw the runners on base tear off for home, giving Utah a 3-0 lead. Shaky and demoralized, Waiters gave up another walk and hit a second batter before being pulled from the circle. Waiters finished her day with 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, and 0 Ks. Her reliever Layna Gerhard was able to pull Cal out of the inning and kept the Utes quiet through the third.
The Bears’ bats made themselves known from the get go, with outfielder and lead-off batter Kayli Counts slapping a single into right field. Counts was thrown out at second on the next at-bat during a routine double play. Outfielder Kyndall Todd added a double into left to Cal’s hit total, however she would ultimately be stranded on second, ending Cal’s only offense until the bottom of the third inning. With a runner on first and down one out, Anaya Togia launched her first home run of the season into deep left field, shrinking Utah’s lead to just a run.
In the top of the fourth Utah began a devastating rally to pull ahead by a near insurmountable amount of runs. The inning started out with four back-to-back singles, followed by an RBI double, a sacrifice fly to center field, and a final single to total up four additional runs before Gerhard and the Golden Bears defense could stop the bleeding at 7-2. No rally in response materialized from Cal, allowing Utah to play out the next three innings and walk away with a win. At the top of the fifth, Taylor Peacock was called in to finish the game for the Golden Bears, relieving Gerhard after 3.1 innings pitched with 6 H, 4 R, and 3 Ks. Peacock pitched the Utes into silence through 3.0 innings, preventing Utah from adding any additional runs and giving up only one hit and one walk. She ended game one of the tournament with 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB.
Six Bears recorded hits against Utah: Kayli Counts, Anaya Togia, Kyndal Todd, Emma Jackson, and Kayla Lee, with Lee also picking up a stolen base. Cal’s defense put together two double plays in the third and seventh innings, and Anya German and Kayla Lee were each credited with fielding errors. Tamya Waiters (0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K) was assigned the loss, putting her at 0-1 on the season.
Friday, 2/13/26, Santa Clara, 8-2 W
With a first game loss under their belt, Cal entered game two of the Silicon Valley Classic hungry for a win. Cal’s opponent and host of the tournament Santa Clara–despite being off to a 4-3 start to their season–was also hungry for victory that Friday after being shut out by Utah earlier in the day.
The game began with a 0-0 stalemate through the second inning as the two team’s aces (Mya McGowan from Cal and Cari Ferguson from Santa Clara) dueled for supremacy, with the Broncos recording the game’s only hit thus far. Cracks would begin to form in the top of the third as Kayli Counts doubled down the line for the Bears’ first hit of the game. Conversely, Santa Clara brought around a run thanks to a triple followed by a well placed single to put the Broncos ahead 1-0.
Cal responded immediately, with Mya McGowan getting a lot of it done on her own. McGowan knocked a single into center field, stole second, and then advanced to third on a fly out from Carly Raven. Anya German finished the work by bringing McGowan home with an RBI single to tie the game heading into the fifth. Santa Clara regained the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single, but once again Cal responded immediately to tie things up. In the top of the sixth, Raven hit a two-out double into left center, and German repeated the heroics she’d displayed in the fourth inning, blasting a double into center field to bring Raven home.
After a silent bottom of the sixth, the Bears were up with their final opportunity to put the game away without needing extras. At the ideal time, Cal’s bats became electric almost from the first pitch of the seventh inning. Gator Robinson took one for the team on the first pitch of her at bat, and Kayli Counts advanced her to third with a single. A single from Emma Jackson loaded the bases, and a double to right center from Anaya Togia scored two.
Relief for the Broncos’ pitcher was not able to stop the Bears from scoring any way they could. Jackson took off for home on a wild pitch that got past Santa Clara’s catcher, Kyndal Todd was walked (Kayla Lee pinch ran for her), and Anaya Togia scored a run by scrambling home from third after a Santa Clara throwing error trying to pick off Kayla Lee while she was stealing second. Carly Raven walked on the next at bat, Anya German brought Lee home with an RBI single to right center, and pinch hitter D’auna Johnson notched an RBI-ground out to put the Bears up 8-2. The inning only ended when Robinson (up to bat for the second time that inning) flew out to center field.
Despite a great performance by McGowan, Coach Singleton pulled the freshman pitcher at the start of the seventh inning, sending in reliever Taylor Peacock to close out the game. McGowan finished her day with 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 1 K. Peacock preserved the six run lead with ease, sitting down three batters in order with a fly out and a pair of ground outs. Peacock ended the evening with 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, and 0 K.
The Bears offense was explosive this game, especially when they were rolling in the seventh inning. Seven players recorded hits in the contest, with Counts, Togia, Raven, German, and Robinson all recording doubles. Most notably, catcher Anya German was perfect at the dish, sending out three hits in as many at bats, plus reaching on a walk. Lee, McGowan, and Raven each stole a base, and for the second consecutive game the defense turned two double plays, one in the first and one in the fifth. WP: McGowan (6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K) easily claimed her second win of the season, putting her at 2-2.
Saturday, 2/14/26, UC Santa Barbara, 9-4 W
Coming off a much needed win, the Golden Bears looked to keep up the momentum as they took on their third of four opponents: UC Santa Barbara. Despite throwing 89 pitches the night before against Santa Clara, Mya McGowan was given the starting nod for game one of this Valentine’s day double header against the Gauchos.
Unlike the last few games, Cal softball hit the ground running offensively from the first inning and never looked back. Kayla Lee reached on a six pitch walk, and Anya German popped up a fly ball that the UCSB left fielder couldn’t keep inside her glove, allowing Lee to race home for a run and German to reach second on the error. UCSB tied things up 1-1 in the bottom of the frame thanks to a sacrifice fly, but that was as close as the Gauchos would ever come to taking the lead.
In the second inning, Carly Raven and Gator Robinson sent a pair of doubles into left center to reach second and third. Both were able to score shortly thereafter, Raven on a sacrifice fly to center field by Emma Jackson; and Robinson on a coordinated double steal, gunning for home while the Gauchos attempted to catch Kayli Counts stealing second. In the following inning, with two outs and Kyndall Todd on second, Raven added another run by hitting a single up the middle, giving Todd plenty of time to reach home and put Cal up 4-2.
After two solid innings and 36 pitches from McGowan, reliever Taylor Peacock was called into the circle in the bottom of the third. McGowan finished her day with 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, and 1 K. Peacock did allow the Gauchos to pick up their second run thanks to an RBI single to center with two outs down. On the following at-bat a single ripped down the left field line, however, the final out was made when the batter was thrown out trying to reach second. Peacock would not continue pitching after the third, and was relieved by Kiki Mashoud, who closed out the game. Peacock ended her day with 1.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, and 1 BB.
Before the start of the fourth inning, D’auna Johnson had been subbed in for Kayla Lee at left field. In just a few at bats from that moment, it would be her time at the plate. Before her at bat, she was hyping herself up with positive affirmations. “The whole day I was like, I was hitless before this game,” Johnson explained. “I’m gonna get my first hit today. Whatever my team needs right here, I’m going to do it.” As if manifesting that thought into reality, Johnson jumped on the fourth pitch of the at-bat. With runners on second and third, D’auna Johnson blasted a 3-run homer over the fence in left center to give the Bears a 7-2 lead. “It felt really good, I’ve been really working on the mental aspects of the game,” commented Johnson on hitting just the second home run of her career. “It definitely worked out for me, and I’m really happy about that.”
With a five run lead that Cal would never give up, the Bears cruised through the last few innings of the game thanks to solid pitching and energetic hitting. Cal and UCSB traded runs until the end, but Cal’s five run lead never decreased. In the top of the sixth, Anaya Togia hit a sacrifice fly to center field to advance Emma Jackson home, and in the seventh Kyndal Todd doubled down the right field line, scoring pinch runner Harmony Andrade thanks to a fielding error. On the Guachos’ side, Mashoud gave up a homer down the left field line in the sixth, and an RBI single in the seventh to reach a final score of 9-4.
In their game against Santa Barbara, Cal once again found their bats as hot as ever. Seven players recorded hits, with Carly Raven, Kyndal Todd, and Gator Robinson recording doubles, and as previously mentioned D’auna Johnson notching a home run in her statsheet. Todd, Robinson, Counts, and Jackson all stole at least one base, while third baseman Maddie Rey was credited with an error. WP: Kiki Mashoud (4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K) recorded the win, putting her at 1-1 on the year.
Saturday 9/14/26, Santa Clara, 8-4 L
According to the archives, Cal and Santa Clara have clashed a total 82 times. Adding on the win from the previous Friday, and that puts the Bears at an astonishingly perfect 83-0 against the Broncos. However, as of Valentine’s day 2026, the Broncos did what women at Santa Clara University have been trying to do since the 1960’s: beat Cal in softball.
To put it simply, the Bears got off to one of the worst starts they could, and were never able to overcome the odds after. Taylor Peacock was called on to make her first start of the season, however things would not go as planned for the sophomore pitcher. In the first inning, the Broncos scored their first run of the game off of a throwing error for an RBI fielder’s choice. The next at bat, a single up the middle brought two more home, and another single up the middle on the following at-bat would put Santa Clara up 4-0, a lead they would never relinquish. In the bottom of the third, Santa Clara went up 6-0 thanks to an RBI single and an RBI ground out. Peacock would be pulled after the bottom of the third with Tamya Waiters relieving her after 3.0 IP and giving up 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, and 1 K.
Cal’s offense finally generated some momentum in the top of the fourth. Carly Raven’s keen eye earned her a walk, where she was advanced to second by a single up the middle from Maddie Rey. A double from Gator Robinson gave both baserunners the time to reach home, putting Cal on the board 6-2. Waiters would start her time in the circle by putting down the first two batters she faced, before giving up a solo home run to extend the Broncos lead 7-2.
The Bears and Broncos would both go silent after the fourth inning until the bottom of the sixth, where a well placed double down the right field line brought home one final run for Santa Clara. On Cal’s final time to bat, Anaya Togia was able to double the Bears’ run total by turning on the first pitch of her at bat, hitting a two-run homer to bring the Broncos within four with two outs in the seventh. Unfortunately, Cal’s hopes of a two-out rally turning into a comeback were quickly dashed as Maddie Rey struck out swinging to end the game. Waiters did her best to keep the Broncos lead from expanding too much, and ended the game with 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 2 Ks.
In their second game against Santa Clara, Cal could not turn very many hits into runs, allowing the Broncos to record their first ever victory against California. Seven Bears recorded at least one hit, with Anaya Togia most notable having a perfect day with 4 hits on 4 at bats, one of which scored two runs in a last minute home run. LP: Peacock (3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 K).
2/15/26, Illinois State, 8-4 W
Although there was initially fear of rain cancelling the day, the start of Cal’s final game in the Silicon Valley Classic saw sunshine breaking through the clouds as they took on the Illinois State Redbirds. Mya McGowan was called upon one more time in the tournament, and she took to the circle for her seventh start of the season.
For the first two innings, it appeared the Bears and Redbirds were settling into a furious pitchers’ duel. Both sides remained scoreless, and had only collected a single hit each. However California broke the scoring wide open in the third with a pair of singles from Kayli Counts and Anaya Togia, setting up Carly Raven to bring one home on an RBI single to left field. A couple at-bats later Gator Robinson similarly brought in a second runner home to go up 2-0 with an RBI single to center field. After scoring two, the brief flash of offensive production died down, and both teams remained silent for another two innings until Gator Robinson again brought in some scoring. With two down and a runner at first, Robinson crushed a pitch, turning it into a two run homer sent sky high over the wall in left field, her first of the season.
The Bears weren’t out of the woods yet, however, as the Redbirds would come roaring back in the bottom of the same frame to make things interesting. With two outs down and runners on second and third, McGowan gave up two doubles and a walk, allowing Illinois State to tie the game at four apiece going into the top of the sixth. Despite Cal’s lead being wiped out almost instantly, the Bears refused to remain dormant. California pushed forward again, first with an RBI single by Togia that brought home a runner from third. The following at bat, Raven lucked out on what should have been a fly out to left field but was ruled a fielding error. The ball somehow found its way into and then out of the Illinois State left fielder’s glove, letting Raven reach first while Kayli Counts ran from third to score Cal’s sixth run.
It was all Golden Bears from then on. In the seventh, second baseman Xiomei Geluz added a run with a one-out sacrifice fly, and left fielder Kayla Lee increased Cal’s lead to four with a perfectly placed RBI bunt single. Mya McGowan was pulled from the circle in the bottom of the sixth after working herself into a one out jam with runners at the corners. McGowan’s day ended with 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, and 4 Ks. Reliever Kiki Mashoud took over for McGowan and finished the game for California, shutting down Illinois State’s attempt at a seventh inning comeback to secure an 8-4 win over Illinois State in the Silicon Valley Classic.
Seven players recorded hits for the Golden Bears against the Redbirds, with Counts, Togia, Robinson, and Lee all recording multi-hit outings. In one of her at bats, Robinson recorded a home run, and Geluz and Raven each picked up a stolen base. WP: Mya Mcgowan (5.2 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 Ks) was awarded her third win, putting her at 3-2 on the year. S: Kiki Mashoud (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K) earned her first save of the season.
The Good & The Bad
After a woefully disappointing Stanford Invitational, the Silicon Valley Classic was a major boost to team morale, and an improvement in performance on the whole. One notable area where some improvement has been seen is Cal’s ability to score runs. Up until their first game with Santa Clara, Cal had never scored more than three runs in a single game. However that pattern was broken over the weekend, as Cal scored a cumulative 29 runs in their four games after the loss to Utah, and never put up less than four in any one game.
In tandem with the increase in runs scored, Cal’s offense as a unit has also improved. Kayla Lee leads the team in batting average at .400, Anaya Togia and Kayli Counts are tied at top for hits with eleven apiece, and Kyndal Todd and Togia are currently tied for home runs with two. All of this is to say that this Cal team is still very new, but they are making improvements as they progress through the season and get used to playing with their teammates.
After a weekend of bright flashes of talent, there’s no doubt that Kayli Counts’ performance in the tournament needs to be highlighted. Counts recorded at least one hit in four of the tournament’s five games, and had multi-hit games in three of those. She also holds the best batting average (.400) and second best OPS (.971) of Cal’s starters. Counts has been playing reliably at the plate and in the outfield, holding down her spot as the lead off batter in the lineup. Meanwhile from the circle, Kiki Mashoud showed some great improvements in Santa Clara over her previous season. The sophomore pitcher picked up the first win and first save of her career over the weekend, and has already matched her strikeout total from last season in only four appearances.
While there has been some improvement for the Golden Bears, they weren’t without issue through the Silicon Valley Classic. Most notably this week was Cal’s lack of consistency in the hitting and pitching departments. The Bears’ loss to Santa Clara–after overwhelming them 8-2 the day before–was the most glaring example of this. When Cal’s bats are hot and their pitching remains solid, a win is easily forthcoming. But if that’s not the case for the Bears, they could be in for a long day. “That’s the characteristic of an inexperienced group,” commented head coach Steve Singleton after the loss to Santa Clara. “There will be some frustrating days where we come out and look great, and then come out and can’t quite find it.”
What’s Next?
With the Silicon Valley Classic in the books, Cal has its sights set on the biggest tournament in this pre-conference play schedule: The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, CA. The Bears will be playing against two top ten teams in the tournament, #6 Nebraska, and #4 Oklahoma, along with UC San Diego, Fresno State, Nevada, and Auburn. Play begins at 10am on Thursday against UCSD, and will continue through the weekend with double headers on Friday and Sunday. All games will be streamed on FloSports, tune in to see our Bears take on the Mary Nutter. Go Bears!