Allie Skaggs hit a three-run homer and Izzy Pacho and Sharlize Palacios also went deep as the No. 25-ranked Arizona softball team avoided a series sweep by beating host Cal 5-2 on Sunday.
Skaggs' blast, her team-leading 21st of the season, gave UA (32-18, 7-14 Pac-12) a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Pacho hit her ninth homer of the year later in the frame to make it 4-0. After a two-run homer by Cal in the fourth cut the lead in half, Palacios' 16th homer in the fifth extended the lead to 5-2.
Skaggs and Pacho each had two hits.
Madi Elish (7-3) earned the win in relief with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, and Devyn Netz earned her third save after going the final 1 1/3 innings. Starter Hanan Bowen allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Cal fell to 28-24-1, 8-13. The Golden Bears had won the first two games of the series 7-1 and 9-2.
UA wraps up regular-season play with a three-game home set against Stanford (34-18, 9-12) starting at 5 p.m. Thursday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
