Cal claims World Series title

By Owen Canfield
Associated Press

California outfielder Kaleo Eldredge bears down on Arizona catcher Mackenzie Vandergeest. Associated Press

Forest threw a one-hitter, and California scored six runs in the seventh inning off ace Jennie Finch to beat the Wildcats, 6-0, yesterday.

Forest (29-12) struck out eight and walked three. She was 4-0 in the tournament, allowing nine hits and two runs in 28 innings.

"We came out here wanting to play. Just being here wasn't good enough for us," Forest said.

The Golden Bears (56-19), making their fourth straight trip to the Women's College World Series, had never won more than two games in any of their six appearances. Arizona (55-12) has six NCAA championships.

Finch (34-6), the player of the year in 2001 when she went 32-0 and Arizona won the title, retired the first two batters in the seventh before freshman Kaleo Eldredge, a Baldwin High School graduate, walked. Kristen Morley followed with a single, then Candace Harper singled up the middle to score Eldredge.

After an intentional walk to Veronica Nelson loaded the bases, Finch walked in the second run and gave up a bases-clearing double to Jessica Pamanian to make it 5-0.

Finch was replaced by Jenny Gladding, who gave up a double to Chelsea Spencer that finished the scoring.

"Jennie Finch was the reason why we got here and we rode her, and I think she just ran out of a little bit of gas," coach Mike Candrea said.