March 11, 2011

Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. -

No. 20-ranked Cal baseball scored seven runs in the first five innings and had solid relief pitching from junior Matt Flemer as the Golden Bears held off Louisiana-Lafayette, 7-6, Friday (March 11) during the first day of the 2011 Cal Baseball Classic at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Offensively, the Bears had 12 hits, led by a 3-for-4 day from junior shortstop Marcus Semien and two hits apiece from junior catcher Chadd Krist, sophomore first baseman Devin Rodriguez and senior left fielder Austin Booker.

Krist also made some big plays defensively, throwing out two baserunners and tagging a runner out at home plate.

The winning pitcher for the Bears was junior right-hander Erik Johnson, who improved his record to 3-1 by going 6.0 innings with three hits, two runs, five walks and five strikeouts. However, it was Flemer who was able to slow down the Ragin' Cagins, who had scored six runs from the sixth through the eighth inning. Flemer was able to earn his first save of the season by throwing the final 2.0 innings with two hits, one run, no walks and four strikeouts, including striking out two of the last three batters in the ninth inning.

The Bears had a big four-run inning in the second, highlighted by sophomore third baseman Mitch Delfino's two-run double off Louisiana-Lafayette's starter Taylor Hubbell (3-1, 4.0 innings, eight hits, seven runs, six earned runs, one walk, two strikeouts). Semien scored the other two runs in the fourth inning with a two-out single through the right side of the infield.

Cal added two more runs in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Booker and Booker later scored on an error by Ragin Cagin second baseman Jordan Poirrier. The Bears last run in the fifth inning came after Krist led off with a double down the left field line and later scored on an RBI single by Rodriguez.

Cal next plays No. 18 Rice on Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at AT&T Park, home of the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants, who are hosting the first college baseball tournament in their home field.

In earlier games on the first day of the Cal Baseball Classic, Long Beach State defeated No. 18-ranked Rice, 2-1; and San Francisco topped UC Santa Barbara, 3-2.

The remaining 2010 Cal Baseball Classic schedule is as follows with tickets available through the following link: www.sfgiants.com/cal

Saturday, March 12
Louisiana-Lafayette vs. UC Santa Barbara 11 a.m.

Long Beach State vs. San Francisco 3 p.m.

Rice vs. California 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 13
Louisiana-Lafayette vs. San Francisco 9 a.m.

UC Santa Barbara vs. Rice 12:30 p.m.

Long Beach State vs. California 4 p.m.