Feb. 11, 2006
BERKELEY, CALIF. - Down 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, juniors Brennan Boesch and Chris Errecart hit back-to-back home runs off of 49er reliever Brett Andrade to lead Cal to a 3-2 upset of No. 12-ranked Long Beach State Saturday at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears, who scored all three runs Saturday on home runs, snapped a streak of three one-run losses to improve to 2-4, while the 49ers dropped their first game of the year to go to 4-1.
The winning pitcher for Cal was senior reliever Alex Trafton (1-1), who threw the top of the ninth with one hit and one strikeout. Andrade (0-1, 1.0 inning, two hits, two runs), who came into the game with no earned runs and two saves, had gotten the Bears out, 1-2-3, in the bottom of the eighth.
Cal had mustered one run off of Long Beach State starter Andrew Carpenter (7.0 innings, five hits, one run, one walk, two strikeout) when Boesch hit his first home run of the day in the fourth inning. Boesch, leading off the ninth, again became the hero when he was down, 0-2, to Andrade before forcing a full count and then hitting the ball over the right field wall. Errecart then followed with a homer to left field for the game-winner. It was Errecart's third homer in the last three games.
The 49ers had scored their runs on a home run by Evan Longoria off of Bear starter Michael Cooper (7.0 innings, four hits, two runs, three walks, three strikeouts) in the first inning. Long Beach State added its second run in the seventh inning when pinch hitter Scott Bradley hit a bases loaded RBI single off of Cooper. Cal prevented a second run on Bradley's hit when freshman right fielder Charlie Cutler threw Tito Cruz out at the plate.
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Cal next plays the third game of the three-game series versus Long Beach State, Sunday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. at Evans Diamond.
Home Runs:
LBS: Longoria, solo home run in the first inning.
Cal: Boesch, solo home run in the fourth inning. Boesch, solo home run in the ninth inning. Errecart, solo home run in the ninth inning.
