Feb. 28, 2009
LONG BEACH, CALIF. - The California baseball team broke a 6-6 tie by scoring single runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth inning, defeating host Long Beach State, 9-6, Saturday afternoon at Blair Field in Long Beach. The Golden Bears, who had defeated the 49ers, 11-8 Friday night, won their fourth game in a row to improve to 5-2 on the season. Long Beach State dropped to 2-4.
Sophomore Mark Canha scored on a wild pitch for Cal's run in the fifth inning. Then in the eighth inning, senior shortstop Michael Brady tripled and also scored on a wild pitch. Finally, in the top of the ninth, junior Blake Smith and Canha had back-to-back doubles down the right field line to give the Bears their ninth run. Bear freshman closer Erik Johnson earned his second save of the series and third save of the season by pitching the final 1.1 innings with no hits, no runs, one walk and one strikeout.
The winning pitcher for Cal was sophomore Stephen Pistoresi (1-0), who entered the game in the third inning and pitched 3.1 innings with three hits, no runs, one walk and two strikeouts. The losing pitcher for the Long Beach State was reliever Andrew Gagnon (5.1 innings, seven hits, three earned runs, no walks, five strikeouts).
The Bears had scored four runs in the top of the first inning off of 49er starter Jeff Lease, paced by Brady's RBI double, an RBI single by Smith and unearned runs following an error by Long Beach State second baseman Derek Legg.
The 49ers came back with two runs in the bottom of the first off of Smith (2.1 innings, four hits, four runs, three earned runs, five walks, three strikeouts). Cal added single runs in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Dylan Tonneson and in the third inning on an RBI single by Brett Jackson for a 6-2 advantage. But, Long Beach State came roaring back with four runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at six.
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From that point, Bear relievers Pistoresi, junior left-hander Michael Bugary and Johnson were able to shutdown the 49ers as Cal clawed back with their runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings.
Cal finished the game with 15 hits. Jackson extended his hitting streak to seven games by going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Freshman left fielder Danny Oh had another big day by going 3-for-5; while Brady, junior second baseman Jeff Kobernus, Smith and Canha had two hits apiece.
The Bears will next attempt a sweep when they play Long Beach State in the third game of the three-game series, Sunday, March 1 at 1 p.m. at Blair Field. Cal had swept the 49ers last season at Evans Diamond.
Home Runs:
Cal: None.
Long Beach State: None.
