FINAL STATS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Errors proved costly for the Jacksonville State softball team on Friday, when the Gamecocks dropped a 6-3 decision to No. 7 Cal in the first round of the NCAA Louisville Regional at Ulmer Stadium on the campus of Louisville.

The Golden Bears (40-10) used six errors by the Gamecocks (39-20) to jump out to a 6-0 lead and held on to advance in the winner's bracket of the four-team, double-elimination regional. JSU falls into the loser's bracket, where it will face the loser of Friday night's game between host Louisville and Illinois-Chicago on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT.

Junior Abbey Stepp went 2-for-3 and drove in a run to lead the Gamecocks at the plate against Cal's ace and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year Jolene Henderson (35-7). They got three runs, two earned, on five hits in seven innings that saw her strike out six and walk none. It was just the third time in the last 18 games that an offense has managed three runs on Cal's pitching staff. The win extended Henderson's national lead in that category.

Junior Kristin Graham (3-3) earned the start inn the circle after Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference pitcher Tiffany Harbin was scratched just before the start of the game with soreness in the wrist of her pitching arm. She battled through 4.1 innings, allowing six runs, three earned, on 11 hits. She walked two and struck out four before making way for sophomore Hilary Phillips, who allowed just two hits in 1.2 innings of relief work.

Frani Echavarria went 3-for-4 to lead a group of four Cal players with multiple hits. Jamia Reid, Britt Vonk and Jace Williams each recorded two hits, with Jordan Wallace leading the way with a team-high two RBI.

Graham fell behind in the home half of the second after an error by shortstop Tess Echols allowed Victoria Jones to reach with one out. After a Graham wild pitch allowed her to advance to second, Jones scored on a two-out single from Elia Reid.

Another JSU fielding error set up Cal's next run, as well. Vonk led off the third with an infield single to third baseman Amanda Crow, whose attempt at a throw to first sailed down the right field line. The Gamecocks' third error of the game allowed Vonk to reach third and then score on a Williams double in the ensuing at bat.

Cal broke it open in the home half of the fifth, thanks to four runs on four hits and another JSU fielding error. The big blow was an RBI double off of the right field wall by Wallace that put the Golden Bears up 6-0.

The Gamecocks finally dented the scoreboard in the top of the seventh, when they loaded the bases with no outs to start the frame. Senior Sallie Beth Burch drove in JSU's first run with an RBI ground out, and Stepp followed with a bloop single down the left field line that scored Graham and cut Cal's lead to 6-2.

A wild pitch allowed Kaycee Crow to score from third to bring the Gamecocks within three runs, but they wouldn't be able to push any more across.