Sports

That’s how long Cal softball’s winning streak lasted before Syracuse snapped its streak, beating Cal, 8-1, in the Chevron Spring Fling in Honolulu on Saturday. This was the Bears’ third loss of the season since losing to Kentucky and Florida in their first tournament of the season.

“Our streak coming to an end was an eye-opener, but a positive one,” said freshman Khala Taylor. “It showed us that we can’t win every game.”

After two losses in the first tournament of the season, Cal started stringing wins together starting at the Easton Desert Classic at Las Vegas, the first tournament in which Cal went undefeated. The momentum kept growing from there as the Bears traveled to Palm Springs, Fullerton and Fresno without dropping a single game and pushing their run to 19 consecutive games before coming to Hawaii.

The game in which it all ended was an uncommon one from the Bears. Cal gave up an uncharacteristic eight runs, the most the team has given up all season. In addition, Cal had already beat the team that weekend. The day before the loss, the Bears beat Syracuse in a 2-1 victory.

“We came out flat, and we were able to squeeze by them Friday,” said senior Lindsey Ziegenhirt. “There wasn’t really a difference in the way Syracuse played – we just didn’t come out with enough energy and hunger to win.”

Syracuse drove in runners in five separate innings, including three home runs. The Orange had eight hits and matched that number in runs, while Cal only scored once in the bottom of the seventh for one run off of four hits.

During Friday’s game, Syracuse’s Lindsay Taylor pitched all seven innings, only allowing four hits and a walk while striking out three Cal players. On the other hand, Cal pitcher Jolene Henderson’s pitching stole the show with nine strikeouts and two hits allowed.

The No. 4 Bears started strong in the two games of the tournament as Cal defeated No. 15 Baylor, 3-0, and the hosts No. 20 Hawaii, 1-0. In her eighth start of the season, second baseman Ashley Decker tallied two of Cal’s three runs in the first and sixth innings against Baylor.

The team handled the Baylor pitching ace Whitney Canion, who struck out seven Cal batters, with five hits. Baylor’s offense couldn’t match as Henderson only allowed three hits on the day, and Baylor didn’t capitalize on any of them.

Cal’s first game against Hawaii featured a head-to-head match-up between Henderson and Hawaii senior Kaia Parnaby,  two of the nation’s elite pitchers. The two pitching stars entered the game with identical 17-2 records, but it was ultimately Henderson who would win the battle with nine strikeouts and only allowing two hits compared to Parnaby’s nine hits. Even with the end of the streak, Cal won three important games against strong teams and sees the streak ending as more of a motivator than an obstacle.

“Now that we know what it’s like to lose,” Taylor said, “our mindset is not going to change. We’re going to come back positive and come back with more fire against our opponents in the Pac-12.”