Feb. 21, 2009
Box Score - Game 1 | Box Score - Game 2
BERKELEY, CALIF. - The University of California baseball team dropped a doubleheader to UC Riverside, 6-5 and 5-2, Saturday at Evans Diamond, falling to 1-2 on the 2009 season after defeating the Highlanders (2-1), 8-7, on Friday. In game one, the Golden Bears almost made an impressive comeback when sophomore Austin Booker led off the bottom of the ninth with his first career homer to get Cal within a run. Brett Jackson followed with a double, but unfortunately for the Bears freshman Danny Oh lined out to right field, junior Jeff Kobernus flew out to deep center field and junior Blake Smith flew out to the right field warning track to end the game.
In game two, the Bears did not get a hit until the fourth inning as UCR junior left-hander Paul Applebee threw a complete game with four hits, two runs, one walk and eight strikeouts.
In the morning game, UCR scored two runs in the top of the first inning off of Blake Smith, who ended up throwing a career-high 5.2 innings with four hits, four runs, no earned runs, four walks and a career-high seven strikeouts. Smith struggled in the first inning however, giving up two runs on his throwing error to second base and a wild pitch.
Cal came back with four runs in the bottom of the second inning on a lead-off double by Smith, an RBI double by Michael Brady, a two-run homer by sophomore first baseman Mark Canha (first collegiate homer) and an RBI single by Jackson to gain a 4-2 advantage. But, Smith yielded two more runs in the fourth inning on a bases loaded walk and an RBI single by UCR's Carl Uhl's RBI single to tie the game, 4-4.
|
|
 |
Reliever Daniel Wolford (3.1 innings, three hits, two runs, two walks, five strikeouts) replaced Smith in the sixth inning and was saddled with the loss when he gave up an RBI groundout in the eighth inning and a solo home run to Joey Gonzales in the top of the ninth inning. The winning pitcher for UCR was middle reliever Matt Montgomery (2.0 innings, no hits, no runs, two walks). Joseph Kelly picked up the save (2.0 innings, four hits, one run, two strikeouts).
Cal struggled at the plate in game two against Applebee. The Bears got their two runs on an RBI groundout by Kobernus in the fourth inning and senior right fielder Ryan Hanlon's sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, scoring Canha who had led off the inning with a double. The losing pitcher for Cal was junior left-hander Chris Petrini (2.0 innings, five hits, four runs). After redshirt freshman Dixon Anderson made his college debut with 3.0 innings (four hits, one run, one strikeout), junior left-hander Michael Bugary finished the game for the Bears with a career-high 4.0 innings with two hits, no runs, three walks and a career-high five strikeouts.
Cal will next face Vanderbilt in a single game beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22 at Evans Diamond.
Home Runs Game One
UC Riverside: Joey Gonzalez, solo home run in the ninth inning.
Cal: Mark Canha, two-run homer in the second inning. Austin Booker, solo home run in the ninth inning.
Home Runs Game Two
UC Riverside: Trevor Hairgrove, two-run homer in the second inning.
Cal: None
