California and Russellville won't play each other until Aug. 25, but the teams got a taste of what the matchup will be like on Saturday at the California Softball Jamboree.
In a controlled, four-inning game, the Pintos topped the Indians 9-6 thanks to two-hit performances from Abby Harris and Jenna Berendzen. Harris had two doubles and drove in two runs, while Berendzen had a pair of singles and three RBI.
Alexis Mullen, Jessica Reynolds and Caitlyn Horne also had an RBI apiece, as California did a nice job of scratching across the runs when they had baserunners on.
"We did a very good job of getting the ball where it needed to be," said California head coach Darrell Bolin. "What we need to work on is more of the specialty plays that I really didn't want to showcase today because we're going to turn around and play these teams (Russellville and Eugene) within the next week."
Kaitlyn Turner and Destiny Cook each threw a pair of innings in the win over Russellville. Turner allowed two hits and two earned runs, while Cook gave up three hits and three earned runs in relief.
"(We'll focus on) selectivity on pitches and making sure we're swinging at strikes," Bolin said. "It'll be a more offensive-sided thing. We're going to really focus on going to the plate with a purpose."
On the Russellville side, the team accounted for six runs on five hits. Ally Harris, Blake Lueckenotte, MacKenzie Loesch and Libby Mueller were some of the top returning contributors for the Indians.
"I thought it was a great opportunity to get some live game situations against different opponents versus just scrimmaging our own kids," said Russellville head coach Trisha Volkart. "You get comfortable just seeing familiar faces and this lets you know what you struggled with and gives you some things to focus on."
Eugene takes town California, Russellville
Before the Pintos and Indians locked horns, both teams faced Eugene earlier in the day. The Eagles first topped California 8-1 before dispatching Russellville 17-3.
California kept things close for much of the game against the Eagles, but were ultimately undone when Rachael Surface hit a three-run double in the fourth inning.
Turner and Cook threw two innings each, and Harris had the lone RBI for the Pintos. Eugene pitcher Paige Rademan proved tough to solve on Saturday, throwing some strong inning against both teams.
For Russellville, the highlight versus Eugene was Mueller's RBI triple in the second inning.