Big Seventh Dooms Cyclones Against Cal

SUNNYVALE, Calif. ? No. 23 California scored seven runs in the seventh inning to break open a once close game and defeat Iowa State, 15-5, in Saturday afternoon action at the National Invitational Softball Tournament.

The Cyclones (8-17) trailed 8-5 heading into the seventh, but the Golden Bears (17-10) rattled off seven hits and scored seven runs to go onto the win.

Freshman Courtney Wray paced the Cyclones with the first four-hit performance of her career. Katie Reichling and Jennifer Bigbee each collected two hits in the contest for the Cyclones. Reichling drove in a pair of runs and Bigbee had one RBI.

Things looked good for ISU in the first as the Cyclones took a 4-0 lead after one inning.

Kristy Olsen led off the game with a walk and Wray singled to collect her first hit. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch and scored on Reichling's double to center field. Reichling then came around to score on a wild pitch and Ashley Killeen, who drew a walk from Cal starter Brittany LaRosa, scored on Bigbee's single.

After being held scoreless in the first, Cal put runs on the board in every inning the rest of the way. The Golden Bears hit three homers in the seven-run seventh inning.

Iowa State's only other run came in the fourth inning as Jessica Quade reached on an error scoring Reichling, who reached on a two-out single earlier in the inning.

California roughed up all three Cyclone pitchers, dealing Alyssa Ransom (1-5) the loss in her first start since Feb. 18.

The Cyclones will face UC Davis at 5 p.m. to close out Saturday's action.

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Players Mentioned

Jennifer Bigbee

Jennifer Bigbee

Ashley Killeen

Ashley Killeen

Kristy Olsen

Kristy Olsen

Jessica Quade

Jessica Quade

Alyssa Ransom

Alyssa Ransom

Katie Reichling

Katie Reichling

Courtney Wray

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