Kajikawa Classic Information Page
WMU vs. No. 11 California Game Stats
TEMPE, Ariz. - Western Michigan faced the second nationally ranked team in as many times and had to settle for a similar result as the Broncos fell to No. 11 California, 9-1, in five innings on Saturday afternoon at the Kajikawa Classic. Lexi Jager continued her hot hitting, going 2-for-3 and is now hitting .636 (7-for-11) through the first four games of the 2010 season.
Jager registered a double and a single for the second-straight game in one day during WMU's loss to the Bears. She served a 1-1 offering from Cal pitcher Marissa Drewrey into righ center field to lead off the home half of the first inning for the Broncos. She eventually advanced to third base but was stranded there when Gracie Barstad reached on a fielder's choice and Kayla Houston was tagged out at second base. Houston had earned a four-pitch walk earlier in the inning.
Michelle Bendewald collected a one-out single in the bottom of the second but was left on first base as the next two batters struck out and grounded out, respectively. The Broncos posted their lone run of the game in the bottom of the third and, again, Jager was involved.
The junior Kalamazoo native led off the inning with a single to left field and stole second, her second of the season and 28th of her career. Sarah Thomas hit her first double of the season, scoring Jager, but was thrown out trying to extend the double into a triple.
The Bears jumped out to an early, 4-0, lead on grand slam off the bat of Lindsey Ziegenhirt to score Valerie Arioto, Jamia Reid and Jace Williams who had reached by on a lead-off double, an infield single and a walk, respectively.
The Bears added three more runs in the second inning on a two-run home run by Arioto and a bases loaded walk for Ziegenhirt. California added another run on a fielding error in the fourth and once more on a squeeze bunt in the fifth.
Western Michigan closes out its time at the 2010 Kajikawa Classic against the University of Oregon on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. ET (11:15 in Arizona). Live stats are available from the schedule page of the WMU web site. The link will be available on the site and at www.twitter.com/kananmj prior to the first pitch.
