The Arizona Wildcats spelled defeat with four Es on Friday night.
And they probably could have been credited with more errors, misplays and mental mistakes against Cal, falling 9-4 and setting up a battle for the series and playoff position during Senior Day today at noon.
How bad was the defense at times?
Cal scored four runs in the first inning despite hitting the ball out of the infield exactly twice.
When the Golden Bears added another four in the sixth, they hit the ball to the outfield once.
Once in each inning, however, an errant UA throw dribbled into the outfield and allowed a run to score.
"We won't ever win a game making that many errors," said catcher Stacie Chambers, who threw the ball into the outfield in the first inning and allowed Cal to steal five bases. "We just let it get quick. We've got to slow it down."
The final result tainted Chambers' otherwise historic night. Her three-run homer in the third inning tied Laura Espinoza and Leah Braatz for the UA's all-time career lead with 85.
"Hit it solid," Chambers said. "It felt good."
Mike Candrea admitted that, with the regular-season finale today, his team picked a bad time for defensive mistakes. The UA had two errors in Thursday's 2-1 victory.
The Wildcats had committed only 38 errors entering the week, placing 19th nationally with a .973 fielding percentage.
"From the get-go of that game, we gave up too much early on," he said. "The speed that they had caused some problems for us."
Candrea credited the youth of his infield - shortstop Ashley Brawley is a freshman walk-on, and corner infielders Brigette Del Ponte and Baillie Kirker are sophomores.
"We were rushing all the throws and rushing all the plays," Kristen Arriola said. "They were throwing before they even caught the ball."
UA starting pitcher Shelby Babcock was wild to start the game. She faced 10 first-inning batters and 22 over four innings before being replaced by Kenzie Fowler.
Jamia Reid led off the game with a single to left, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Babcock walked the next batter, Britt Vonk, who stole second. Trying to bluff Reid into running home, catcher Chambers threw to Brawlee, who was still standing at shortstop. The ball hit her glove and went into the outfield as Reid scored.
Babcock walked the second, third and fourth batters and - after coaxing a force out at home - then the sixth and eight batters, too. Elia Reid provided the first hit since her twin sister's opening single to score the fourth run.
After Cal went up 5-3 in the top of the fourth, the Wildcats' Baillie Kirker, one of Thursday night's heroes, singled home Karissa Buchanan from second to pull within one.
Candrea inserted Fowler, one night after she threw 159 pitches, to start the fifth.
She was tormented by the Reid sisters.
With a runner on first and none out, Elia Reid bunted toward Kirker, who turned and fired to Arriola covering first, only to uncork it down the first base line.
One run scored, and Reid went to third. She scored when her identical twin, Jamia, chopped a single.
Cal's next two batters reached on a chopper to short and an error by Del Ponte.
After Fowler retired the next two, Frani Echavarria hit a hot grounder at Del Ponte, who had to knock it down and step on third base, inches away, to end the inning. Instead, it skipped under her glove, and two runs scored.
"I shoulda gotten that one," Del Ponte said. "You have to think through the play before it comes."
The Series
• What: California at Arizona, three-games series
• Thursday: Arizona 2, California 1, 10 innings
• Friday: California 9, Arizona 4
• Today: noon
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