The No. 24 Arizona softball team drops its second series in a row after only being able to win one game against No. 21 University of California, Berkeley.

In the three-game series, Arizona (21-9-1) was able to steal the first game 9-5 from Cal (22-8), but the next two days the Wildcats fell short, losing 7-6 and 8-7.

Day 1: Friday, March 22

Game 1: No. 24 Arizona vs. No. 21 Cal at 3 p.m.

Arizona started the game strong, scoring 2 runs in the first inning and 3 more in the second. Arizona pitcher Aissa Silva, however, gave up a home run and a double in the second and third innings, which let Cal tie the game at 5 all. The Arizona offense, though, did not slow down and scored 3 more runs after Tayler Biehl hit a double up the middle. Silva would be replaced in the bottom of the third in favor of Miranda Stoddard, who closed the game for the Wildcats.

Day 2: Saturday, March 23

Game 2: No. 24 Arizona vs. No. 21 Cal at 2 p.m.

On day two of the series, Arizona sent out Stoddard as the starting pitcher after she had closed out the game the night before. Arizona’s offense came out hot again after Allie Skaggs hit a home run to right-center field, scoring 2 runs in the first inning. Skaggs scored another run after hitting a single up the middle, making the Wildcats lead 3-0 in the third inning. Biehl in the top of the fourth then extended that Wildcats’ lead after hitting her second home run this season and only her second in her career. The Wildcats, however, would give up 5 runs to Cal in the bottom of the seventh inning, which tied the game at 6, sending it to extra innings for the team’s fifth overtime game of the season. The Wildcats would give up the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, losing 7-6 to Cal.

Day 3: Sunday, March 24

Game 3: No. 24 Arizona vs. No. 21 Cal at noon

On the final day of the series, Arizona and Cal both started off hot with both teams scoring 3 runs in the first inning and both teams hitting home runs in the first inning. Skaggs hit her second of the series, helping the Wildcats with the early scoring. Much like Skaggs, Biehl also hit her second home run of the series in the top of the fourth, grabbing the lead back. The lead would not last long as Cal, in the bottom of the fourth, scored 3 more runs. Cal would extend its lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring 2 more to make the game 8-4. Although Arizona was able to score 3 more runs in the top of the seventh, it wouldn’t be enough, and the Wildcats would fall a second time to Cal, 8-7.

Arizona is now 4-5 in conference play and ranked in the bottom half of the Pac-12 as the Wildcats go into their next three-game series against Stanford University, who is No. 1 in the Pac-12. The series starts on Thursday, March 28, and ends Saturday, March 30, at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.

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